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THE    FLEET. 


VIEW  OF  MOUTH  OF  THE  fleet  circa  1765.     (Guildhall  Art  Collection) 


[Frontispiece. 


Cfje  tflztt 

ITS    RIVER,   PRISON,  AND  MARRIAGES 


BY 

JOHN    ASHTON 

(Author  of  "  Social   Life    in    the   Reign   of  Queen    Anne"    "  Dawn    of    the   Nineteenth 
Century,"  &c,  &c,  &c.) 

ILLUSTRATED    BY 

PICTURES    FROM    ORIGINAL    DRAWINGS    AND    ENGRAVINGS 

POPULAR    EDITION. 


LONDON 

T.      FISHER      UNWIN 

26    PATERNOSTER    SQUARE 

MDCCCLXXXIX 


J>0 

p/tM 


PREFACE. 


THIS  book  requires  none,  except  a  mere  statement 
of  its  scheme.  Time  has  wrought  such  changes  in 
this  land  of  ours,  and  especially  in  its  vast  Metro- 
polis, cc  The  Modern  Babylon,"  that  the  old  land-marks 
are  gradually  being  effaced — and  in  a  few  generations 
would  almost  be  forgotten,  were  it  not  that  some  one 
noted  them,  and  left  their  traces  for  future  perusal.  All 
have  some  little  tale  to  tell ;  even  this  little  River  Fleet, 
which  with  its  Prison,  and  its  Marriages — are  things 
utterly  of  the  past,  entirely  swept  away,  and  impossible 
to  resuscitate,  except  by  such  a  record  as  this  book. 

I  have  endeavoured,  by  searching  all  available  sources 
of  information,  to  write  a  trustworthy  history  of  my 
subject — and,  at  the  same  time,  make  it  a  pleasant  book 
for  the  general  reader.  If  I  have  succeeded  in  my  aim, 
thanks  are  due,  and  must  be  given,  to  W.  H.  Overall, 
Esq.,  F.S.A.,  and  Charles  Welch,  Esq.,  Librarians  to 
the  Corporation  of  the  City  of  London,  whose  friendship, 
and  kindness,  have  enabled  me  to  complete  my  pleasant 


vi  Preface. 

task.  It  was  at  their  suggestion  that  I  came  upon  a 
veritable  trouvaille,  in  the  shape  of  a  box  containing 
Mr.  Anthony  Crosby's  Collection  for  a  History  of  the 
Fleet,  which  was  of  most  material  service  to  me,  espe- 
cially in  the  illustrations,  most  of  which  were  by  his  own 
hand. 

I  must  also  express  my  gratitude  to  J.  E.  Gardner, 
Esq.,  F.S.A.,  for  his  kindness  in  putting  his  magnificent 
and  unrivalled  Collection  of  Topographical  Prints  at  my 
disposal,  and  also  to  J.  G.  Waller,  Esq.,  F.S.A.,  for  his 
permission  to  use  his  map  of  the  Fleet  River  (the  best 
of  any  I  have  seen),  for  the  benefit  of  my  readers. 

JOHN  ASHTON. 


CONTENTS. 


Zbc   IRtver- 


CHAPTER  I. 


Course  of  the  Fleet — Derivation  of  its  Name — The  River  of 
Wells — The  Fleet  choked  up — Cleansing  the  Fleet — The 
Fleet  Navigable — Wells — Ponds  and  Pools 


CHAPTER  II. 

Water  Supply  of  London — The  Fleet  to  be  Cleansed — Smell 
of  the  River — Prehistoric  London — Antiquarian  Dis- 
coveries— Cleansing  the  Fleet — Fouling  the  River — 
Rivers  rising  at  Hampstead — The  Tye-bourne — The 
West-bourne — Course  of  the  West-bourne 


CHAPTER  III. 

Course  of  the  Fleet — The  Hampstead  Ponds — Rural  Fleet — 
Gospel  Oak — Parliament  Hill — Kentish  Town — Brown's 
Dairy — Castle  Inn — St.  Pancras  Wells — Burials  at  St. 
Pancras — the  Brill  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...      25 


viii  Contents. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

PAGE 

Battle    Bridge — King's   Cross — The   Dust-heaps — St.    Chad's 

Well— St.  Chad's  Well-water       41 


CHAPTER  V. 

Medicinal  Waters — Spas — The  White  Conduit — White  Con- 
duit House — White  Conduit  Gardens     ...  ...  ...      55 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Sadler's  Discovery — Miles's  Musick  House — A  Man  Eats  a 
Live  Cock,  &c. — Forcer,  the  Proprietor — Macklin  on 
Sadler's  Wells— Actors  at  Sadler's  Wells— The  Pindar  of 
Wakefield 71 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Black  Mary's   Hole" — Its   Disappearance — Bagnigge  Wells 
— Nell  Gwyn's  Houses — Bagnigge  House  ...  ...      81 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Bagnigge    Wells — The     Organist — Different     Proprietors — 

"  Punch  "  on  Bagnigge  Wells — Decadence  of  the  Wells       91 


103 


CHAPTER  IX. 
Cold  Bath  Fields  Prison  

CHAPTER  X. 

The  "Cold  Bath"— Cold  Baths— Sir  John  Oldcastle— Archery 
— Tea  Gardens — Small  Pox  Hospital — The  Pantheon — 
Lady  Huntingdon's  Chapel — Lady  Huntingdon...  ...    115 


Contents.  ix 

CHAPTER  XI. 


PAGE 


The  Spencean   System — Orator   Hunt — Riot  in   the   City — 

Riots — End  of  the  Riots  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...    131 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Fighting — Hockley-in-the-Hole — Bear  Baiting — Bear  Gardens 

— Bull  Baiting — Sword  Play        ...  ...  ...  ...    141 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Mount  Pleasant — Saffron  Hill — Old  House  in  West  Street — 

Fagin — Field  Lane — Thieves       ...  ...  ...  ...    157 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

Bleeding  Hart  Yard — Ely  Place — John  of  Gaunt — Ely  Chapel 

— Turnmill  Brook — The  Fleet — Holborn  Bridge  M.    1 67 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Lamb's    Conduit — Clerkenwell — Fleet    Market — Rye-House 

Plot— Fleet  Bridge  183 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

Alderman    Waithman — John    Wilkes — Ludgate     Prison — Sir 

Stephen  Foster    ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...      197 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

Bridewell — Montfichet  Castle — Fuller  on  Bridewell — Ward 
on  Bridewell — Howard  on  Bridewell — Bridewell  Prison 
The  City  and  Apprentices — Mother  Cresswell — Bride- 
well Court  Room  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...   209 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Alsatia — Whitefriars — Deaths  in  the  Fleet — Ben  Jonson  and 

the  Fleet   ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  -       ...   227 


Contents. 

Zbe  fleet  prison* 

CHAPTER  XIX. 


PAGE 


History  of  the  Fleet  Prison — Female  Wardens — Settlement  of 
Fees — Liberty  of  Prisoners — Filthy  State  of  the  Fleet — 
A  Quarrelsome  Knight — Preference  for  the  Fleet  Prison 
— Sir  John  Falstaff—  Cardinal  Wolsey  233 

CHAPTER  XX. 

Prisoners  —  Puritans  —  Bibliography    of  Fleet    Prison  —  A 

Warden's  Troubles  247 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

The  Warden  of  the  Fleet — Purchase  of  Wardenship — Bad 
Discipline — Boundaries  of  the  Fleet — Preference  for  the 
Fleet  „.         —  259 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

Complaints  of  the  Warden — The  Warden  keeps  Corpses — 
Huggins  and  Bambridge — Castell — The  First  Prisoner 
in  Irons — Acquittal  of  Huggins  and  Bambridge — Bam- 
bridge and  his  Prisoners — Chapel  in  the  Fleet  Bagging       269 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 
Admission  to  the  Fleet  Prison — The  Humours  of  the  Fleet    ...   283 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

Garnish — The  "  Common  Side  " — Howard's  Report — Regu- 
lations of  the  Prison — Gordon  Riots — Burning  of  the 
Fleet  Prison — Fleet  Prison  Rebuilt — The  "Bare" — 
Racket  Masters — A  Whistling  Shop — A  Mock  Election 
"  Dum  Vivimus,  Fivamus" — Number  of  Prisoners — De- 
stitution    ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...   297 


Contents.  xi 


CHAPTER  XXV. 


Escape  of  Prisoners — A  Gang  of  Forgers — Abolition  of  Im- 
prisonment for  Debt — Prisoners  Object  to  move — Op- 
position to  Removal — "  The  Last  Days  of  the  Fleet " — 
Sale  of  the  Fleet  Prison  —  Begging  Grate  —  Richard 
Oastler       •..  ...  ...  ...  ...  .►..  ...   31 


3fleet  flDarriagee, 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

Illegal  Marriages — Cost  of  Marriages — Peculiars — Suppression 
of  Irregular  Marriages — A  Fleet  Parson's  Reflections — 
Fleet  Parsons — An  Heiress  Married       ...  ...  ...   331 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

John  Gaynam — The  Bishop  of  Hell — Edward  Ashwell — John 

Floud — Walter  Wyatt      ...    343 

CHAPTER   XXVIII. 

The  Lilleys — Fleet  Parsons — Parson  Keith   ...  ...  ...   355 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

"The    Bunter's   Wedding"  —  Fleet    Parsons  —  Exchange    of 

Wives — Singular  Marriage — Irregular  Marriage  ...    367 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

A  Runaway  Marriage — Fortunes  Married — Illegal  Marriage 
— Fleet  Marriage  Registers — Extracts  from  Registers — 
End  of  Marriages...  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...   379 


INDEX 


39* 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE 
VIEW     OF     THE     MOUTH     OF     THE     FLEET      ...  ...  Frontispiece 

shepherd's    WELL,    HAMPSTEAD...  ...  ...  ...  ...  22 

the  fleet,  kentish  town  ...  ...  ...  ...  28 

view  of  the  valley  of  the  fleet  and    highgate  church, 

from  fortess  terrace,  kentish  town,  sept.  28,  1 845  ...        29 
the  fleet  at  kentish  town       ...  ...  ...  ...        30,  3 1 

old    house,    kentish    town,    supposed    to    have   been    nell 

gwynne's 
the   fleet   at  kentish  town browne^  dairy  farm,  sept. 

"•  l833        

CASTLE,    KENTISH    TOWN    ROAD,     1 848    ... 

THE    BRILL 

BATTLE    BRIDGE 

DUST    HEAP    AT    BATTLE    BRIDGE 

st.   chad's  WELL 

THE    WHITE    CONDUIT 

STONE    IN    THE    WHITE    CONDUIT 

WHITE    CONDUIT    GARDENS   (INTERIOR) 

„  „  „          (exterior) 

THE    PINDAR    OF    WAKEFIELD 

BAGNIGGE    HOUSE 

BAGNIGGE    WELLS,     NEAR    BATTLE    BRIDGE,    ISLINGTON 


33 


34 

..   36 

38 

4*>  43,  44 

47 

..   51 

56,  64 

••   59 
66 

..  67 

79 

..   86 

89 


xiv  List  of  Illustrations. 


PAGE 

92 


a  view  taken  from  the  center  bridge  in  the   gardens  of 

bagnigge  wells 
waiter  from  the  bread  and  butter  'manufactory ;  or,  the 

humours  of  bagnigge  wells           ...          ...          ...  93 

the  bread  and  butter  manufactory  ;  or,  the  humours  of 

bagnigge  wells         ...         ...         ...          ...          ...  93 

a  bagnigge  wells  scene  ;  or,  no  resisting  temptation         ...  94 

the  bagnigge  organist    ...         ...          ...          ...         ...  95 

the  ancient  river  fleet,  at  clerkenwell,    1 825             ...  io4 

south   view  of  the  cold  baths              ...          ...          ...  l\j 

the  smallpox  hospital  in  cold  bath   fields        ...         ...  122 

view    of    northampton    or    spa    fields    chapel,    with    the 

countess  of  huntingdon's   house  adjoining    ...          ...  1 23 

fagin,  the  jew     ...          ...          ...          ...          ...          ...  163 

field  lane  negotiations  ;  or,  a  specimen  of  "  fine  drawing  "  i  64 

ely  house    i784...         ...         ...          ...          ...          ...  i73 

holborn  bridge          ...          ...          ...          ...             1 7 5,  1 76,  1 80 

end  of  holborn  bridge,  taken  from  the  south,  and  part  of 

holborn  hill,  june  2,    1 84o                ...         ...          ...  1 79 

lamb's   conduit,   snow   hill          ...          ...          ...          ...  185 

fleet   market,    from    holborn   bridge          ...          ...          ...  i9o 

bridewell  bridge...          ...          ...          ...          ...          ...  211 

women  beating  hemp             ...          ...          ...         ...          ...  2i7 

pass  room,  bridewell,    1 808        ...          ...          ...          ...  2i9 

the  arrest      ...          ...          ...         ...          ...          ...          ...  232 

bambridge              ...          ...          ...          ...          ...          ...  277 

a  prisoner  in  irons  ...          ...          ...          ...          ...          ...  278 

the  common   side   of  the   fleet  prison            .;.          ...  282 

the  fleet  prison       ...          ...          ...          ...         ...         284,  3oo 

enforcing   garnish           ...          ...         ...          ...          ...  298 

rackets  in  the    fleet  prison,   i760             ...          ...          ...  307 

racket   ground    ...          ...          ...          ...          ...          ...  308 

a  whistling  shop  in  the  fleet,    l82i       ...         ...         3io,  3ii 

the  evening   after  a  mock  election   in  the  fleet  prison  3i3 
autograph  done  at  the  parlour  no.  i,  palais  de  la  flete, 

this  24  day  june      ...         ...          ...         ...         ...  31$ 

farringdon  street  and  the  fleet  prison              ...          ...  326 

ground  plan  of  fleet  prison    ...          ...         ...         ...  $%j 


List  of  Illustrations. 


xv 


SECTION    OF    THE    PRISON      ... 

EXTERIOR    OF    THE    GRATE 

A     FLEET     PARSON       ... 

A    FLEET    WEDDING 

THE    SAILOR'S    FLEET    WEDDING     ENTERTAINMENT 


327 
328 

339 

366 

368 


The    Fleet : 

3t0  Etoet,  prison,  anD  ogatriaps. 


CHAPTER   L 


ONLY  a  little  tributary  to  the  Thames,  the  River 
Fleet,  generally,  and  ignominiously,  called  the 
Fleet  Ditch,  yet  it  is  historically  interesting,  not  only 
on  account  of  the  different  places  through  which 
its  murmuring  stream  meandered,  almost  all  of  which 
have  some  story  of  their  own  to  tell,  but  the  reminis- 
cences of  its  Prison  stand  by  themselves — pages  of 
history,  not  to  be  blotted  out,  but  to  be  recorded  as 
valuable  in  illustration  of  the  habits,  and  customs,  of 
our  forefathers. 

The  City  of  London,  in  its  early  days,  was  well 
supplied  with  water,  not  only  by  the  wells  dug  near 
houses,  or  by  the  public  springs,  some  of  which  still 
exist,  as  Aldgate  Pump,  &c,  and  the  River  Thames; 

2 


1  Course   of   the   Fleet. 

but,  when  its  borders  increased,  the  Walbrook  was 
utilized,  as  well  as  the  Fleet,  and,  later  on,  the  Tye- 
bourne,  or  twin  brook,  which  fell  into  the  Thames  at 
Westminster.  In  the  course  of  time  these  rivulets 
became  polluted,  land  was  valuable ;  they  were 
covered  over,  and  are  now  sewers.  The  course  of  the 
Fleet  being  clearly  traceable  in  the  depression  of 
Farringdon  Street,  and  the  windings  of  the  Tyebourne  in 
the  somewhat  tortuous  Marylebone  Lane  (so  called  from 
the  Chapel  of  St.  Mary,  which  was  on  the  banks  of 
Cf  le  bourne/'  or  the  brook1).  Its  further  course  is  kept 
in  our  memory  by  Brook  Street,  Hanover  Square. 

The  name  of  this  little  river  has  exercised  many 
minds,  and  has  been  the  cause  of  spoiling  much  good 
paper.  My  own  opinion,  backed  by  many  antiquaries, 
is  that  a  Fleet  means  a  brook,  or  tributary  to  a  larger 
river,  which  is  so  wide,  and  deep,  at  its  junction  with  the 
greater  stream  as  to  be  navigable  for  the  small  craft 
then  in  use,  for  some  little  distance.  Thus,  we  have 
the  names  on  the  Thames  of  Purfleet,  Northfleet,  and 
Southfleet,  and  the  same  obtains  in  other  places.  Its 
derivation  seems  to  be  Saxon — at  least,  for  our 
language.  Thus,  in  Bosworth's  "  Dictionary  of  the 
Anglo-Saxon  Language/'  we  find,  "  Flede-Fledu :  part. 
Flooded;  overflowed:  tumidus2:  Tiber  fledu  wear$3 
— the  Tiber  was  flooded  (Ors.  4.  7)." 

1  The  name  of  this  church  has  been  Latinized  as  "  Sancta  Maria 
de  Ossibus"! 

2  Swollen. 

3  The  real  quotation  in  Orosius  is  "pa  weaic)  Tiber  seo  tk 
swa  fledu." 


Derivation    of   its   Name.  3 

Again,  the  same  author  gives  :  cc  Fleot  {Plat  fleet, 
m.  a  small  river;  Ger.  flethe.  f.  a  channel).  A  place 
where  vessels  float,  a  bay,  gulf,  an  arm  of  the  sea,  the 
mouth  of  a  river,  a  river ;  hence  the  names  of  places, 
as  Northfleet,  Southfleet,  Kent;  and  in  London,  Fleet 
ditch;  sinus.1     Soes   Fleot,    a    bay    of  the   sea.2     Bd. 

1.  34-" 

Another  great  Anglo-Saxon  scholar — Professor  Skeat, 
in  <c  An  Etymological  Dictionary  of  the  English 
Language " :  "  Fleet,  a  creek,  bay.  In  the  names 
North-fleet,  Fleet  Street,  &c.  Fleet  Street  was  so 
named  from  the  Fleet  Ditch  ;  and  fleet  was  given  to  any 
shallow  creek,  or  stream,  or  channel  of  water.  See 
Halliwell.  M.E.  fleet  (Promptorium  Parvulorum,  &c, 
p.  166).  A.S.  fleot,  a  bay  of  the  sea,  as  in  Sees  Fleot, 
bay  of  the  sea.  Alfred's  tr.  of  Becia,  i.  34.2  After- 
wards applied  to  any  channel  or  stream,  especially  if 
shallow.  The  original  sense  was  c  a  place  where  vessels 
float/  and  the  derivation  is  from  the  old  verb  fleet,  to 
float,  &c." 

The  French,  too,  have  a  cognate  term,  especially  in 
Norman  towns,  as  Barfleur,  Honfleur,  Harfleur,  &c, 
which  were  originally  written  Barbe^?/,  Wuneflot,  and 
Hare/7^/  :  and  these  were  sometimes  written  Hareflou, 
Huneflou,  and  Barfleu,  which  latter  comes  very  near  to 

1  A  bag,  or  purse,  a  fold  of  a  garment  ;  a  bay,  bight,  or  gulf. 

2  I  cannot  find  this  quotation  in  "  Bcedoe  Historia  Ecclesiastica," 
&c.,  in  any  edition  I  have  seen,  but  in  1.33.  I  do  find  Amfleet,  and 
in  John  Smith's  edition  (Cambridge,  1722)  as  a  note  to  Amr-lecc, 
he  says,  "  Vulgo  Ambleteau  or  Ambleteuse,  about  2  miles  north  of 
Boulogne." 


4  The   River   of  Wells. 

the  Latin  flevus,  called  by  Ptolemy  fleus,  and  by  Mela 
fletio.  Again,  in  Brittany  many  names  end  in  pleu,  or 
plou,  which  seems  to  be  very  much  like  the  Greek  7r\€(o : 
fully  swollen,  which  corresponds  to  our  Anglo-Saxon 
Flede ;  Dutch  Vliet. 

But  it  has  another,  and  a  very  pretty  name,  "  The 
River  of  Wells,"  from  the  number  of  small  tribu- 
taries that  helped  to  swell  its  stream,  and  from  the  wells 
which  bordered  its  course ;  such  as  Sadler's  Wells, 
Bagnigge  Wells,  White  Conduit,  Coldbath,  Lamb's 
Conduit,  Clerkenwell — all  of  which  (although  all  were 
not  known  by  those  names  in  Stow's  times)  were  in 
existence. 

Stow,  in  his  "Survey  of  London"  (ed.  1603, 
his  last  edition,  and  which  consequently  has  his  best 
corrections),  says  — 

"  Riuer  of      That  the  riuer  of  Wels  in  the  west  parte 
a  els,  of  the  Citty,  was  of  olde   so   called    of  the 

Wels,  it  may  be  proued  thus,  William  the 
Conqueror  in  his  Charter  to  the  Colledge  of 
S.  Marten  le  Grand  in  London,  hath  these 
wordes :  I  doe  giue  and  graunt  to  the  same 
Church  all  the  land  and  the  Moore,  without 
the  Posterne,  which  is  called  Cripplegate,  on 
eyther  part  of  the  Postern,  that  is  to  say, 
from  the  North  corner  of  the  Wall,  as  the 
riuer  of  the  Wels,  there  neare  running,  de- 
parteth  the  same  More  from  the  Wall,  vnto 
the  running  water  which  entereth  the  Cittie ; 
this  water  hath  beene  long  since  called  the 


The   Fleet   Choked   Up.  r 

riuer   of    the    Wels,    which    name    of    riuer 

continued,  and  it  was  so  called  in  the  raigne 

of  Edward  the  first ;  as  shall  bee  shewed,  with  Decay  of  the 

also  the  decay  of  the  saide  riuer.      In  a  fayre  ^rue,r  °f the 

Booke    of   Parliament    recordes,    now     lately 

restored  to  the   Tower,1   it  appeareth  that  a 

Parliament    being    holden    at    Carlile    in   the  ?arllamcni 

yeare   1307,  the  35  of  Edward  the  I.  Henry 

Lacy    Earle  of   Lincolne,    complayned    that 

whereas,  in  times  past  the  course  of  water, 

running  at  London  vnder  Olde  bourne  bridge, 

and  Fleete  bridge  into  the  Thames,  had  beene 

of  such  bredth  and  depth,   that    10    or    12  D.        r 

1    •  XT  •  -1  1    ~    V  RlUer     °f 

snips,  JNauies  at  once  with  marcnadises,  were  wdsbare 
wot  to  come  to  the  foresaid  bridge  of  Fleete,  shlPs- 
and  some  of  them  to  Oldborne  bridge  :  now 
the  same  course  by  filth  of  the  Tanners  & 
such  others,  was  sore  decaied ;  also  by  raising 
of  wharfes,  but  specially  by  a  diversio  of  the 
waters  made  by  them  of  the  new  Temple,  for  Patent 
their  milles  standing  without  Baynardes  Castle.  Record. 

,         r  c    v  cs    7  j     j  •  Mils  by 

in  the  first  yeare  or    Iving  johny  and  diuers  Baynards 
other  impediments,  so  as  the  said  ships  could  Castel,  made 
not  enter    as    they   were    wont,   &    as    they  u^j0fJJ 
ought,  wherefore  he  desired  that  the  Maior  of 
London,  with  the  shi riffs,  and  other  discrete 
Aldermen,  might   be  appointed  to  view  the 
course  of  the  saide  water,  and  that  by  the  othes 

1  The  Records  were  kept  in  the  Tower,  and  at  the  Rolls  Office, 
in  a  very  neglected  state,  until  they  were  removed  to  the  present 
Record  Office  in  Fetter  Lane. 


6  Cleansing   the   Fleet. 

of  good  men,  nil  the  aforesaide  hinderances 
might  he  remoued,  and  it  to  bee  made  as  it 
was   wont  of   old :  wherupon  Roger  le  Bra- 
bazon,  the  Constable  of  the  Tower,  with  the 
Maior  and   Shiriffes,   were   assigned   to  take 
with   them   honest  and   discrete  men,  and   to 
make   diligent  search   and  enquirie,  how  the 
said  riuer  was  in  old  time,  and  that  they  leaue 
nothing  that  may  hurt  or  stop  it,  but  keepe  it 
in  the  same  estate  that  it  was  wont  to  be.     So 
far  the  record.     Wherupon  it  folowed  that 
the  said  riuer  was  at  that  time  cleansed,  these 
mils  remoued,  and  other  things  done  for  the 
preseruation  of  the  course  thereof,  not  with- 
standing neuer  brought  to  the  olde  depth  and 
breadth,  whereupon  the  name  of  riuer  ceased, 
Turnemill      and  was  since  called  a  Brooke,  namely  Turn- 
mill  or  Tremill  Brooke,  for  that  diuers  Mils 
were  erected  vpon  it,  as  appeareth  by  a  fayre 
Register  booke,  conteyning  the  foundation  of 
the  Priorie  at  Clarkenwell,  and  donation  of 
the    landes  thereunto  belonging,   as   also    by 
diners  other  records. 

"This  brooke  hath  beene  diuers  times  since 
clensed,  namely,  and  last  of  all  to  any  effect, 
in  the  yeare  1502  the  17th  of  Henrie  the  7. 
the  whole  course  of  Fleete  dike,  then  so 
called,  was  scowred  (I  say)  downe  to  the 
Thames,  so  that  boats  with  fish  and  fewel 
were  lowed  to  Fleete  bridge,  and  to  Oldburne 
bridge,  as  they  of  olde  time  had  beene  accus- 


Tfe   Fleet  Navigable.  7 

tomed,  which  was  a  great  commoditie  to  al! 
the  inhabitants  in  that  part  of  the  Citie. 

<c  In  the  yeare  j 589,  was  granted  a  flfteene, 
by  a  common  Councell  of  the  citie,  for  the 
cleansing  of  this  Brooke  or  dike :  the  money  „, 
amounting  to  a  thousand  marks  collected,  and  promised  to 
it  was  undertaken,  that,  by  drawing  diuerse  he  clewed; 
springes  about  Hampsted  heath,  into  one  head  coifauF and 
and  Course,  both  the  citie  should  be  serued  of  the  citizens 
fresh  water  in  all  places  of  want,  and  also  that  decelued- 
by  such  a  follower,  as  men  call  it,  the  channell 
of   this    brooke  should  be  scowred  into  the 
riuer  of   Thames ;    but    much    mony    being 
therein  spent,   ye  effect   fayled,  so    that    the 
Brooke  by  meanes  of  continuall  incrochments 
vpon  the  banks  getting  ouer  the  water,  and 
casting   of  soylage  into  the   streame,  is  now 
become  woorse  cloyed  and  that  euer  it  was 
before." 

From  this  account  of  Stow's  we  find  that  the  stream 
of  the  Fleet,  although  at  one  time  navigable,  had  ceased 
to  be  so  in  his  time,  but  we  see,  by  the  frontispiece, 
which  is  taken  from  a  painting  (in  the  Guildhall  Art 
Gallery)  by  Samuel  Scot,  1770  (?)  that  the  mouth  of 
the  Fleet  river,  or  ditch,  call  it  which  you  like,  was 
still,  not  only  navigable,  but  a  place  of  great  resort  for 
light  craft. 

The  name  <c  River  of  Wells  "  is  easily  to  be  under- 
stood, if  we  draw  again  upon  Stow,  who,  in  treating  of 
"  Auncient  and  present  Riuers,  Brookes,  Booms,  Pooles, 


8  Wells. 

Wels,  and  Conduits  of  fresh  water  seruing  the  Citie," 

&c,  says — 

cc  Aunciently,  vntill  the  Conquerors  time,  and  200 
yeres  after,  the  Citie  of  London  was  watered  besides 
the  famous  Riuer  of  Thames  on  the  South  part ;  with 
the  riuer  of  the  wels,  as  it  was  then  called,  on  the 
west ;  with  water  called  Walbrooke  running  through 
the  midst  of  the  citie  into  the  riuer  of  Thames,  seruing 
the  heart  thereof.  And  with  a  fourth  water  or  Boorne, 
which  ran  within  the  Citie  through  Langboorne  ward, 
watering  that  part  in  the  East.  In  the  west  suburbs 
was  also  another  great  water,  called  Oldborne,  which 
had  his  fall  into  the  riuer  of  Wels :  then  was  there  3 
principall  Fountaines  or  wels  in  the  other  Suburbs,  to 
wit,  Holy  Well,  Clements  Well,  and  Clarkes  Well. 
Neare  vnto  this  last  named  fountaine  were  diuers  other 
wels,  to  wit,  Skinners  Wei,  Fags  Wei,  Loders  Wei, 
and  Rad  Well ;  All  which  sayde  Wels,  hauing  the  fall  of 
their  ouerflowing  in  the  foresayde  Riuer,  much  encreased 
the  streame,  and  in  that  place  gaue  it  the  name  of  Wei. 
In  west  Smithfield,  there  was  a  Poole  in  Recordes  called 
Horsepoole,  and  one  other  Poole  neare  vnto  the  parish 
Church  of  Saint  Giles  without  Cripplegate.  Besides 
all  which  they  had  in  euerie  streete  and  Lane  of  the  citie 
diuerse  fayre  Welles  and  fresh  Springs ;  and,  after  this 
manner  was  this  citie  then  serued  with  sweete  and  fresh 
waters,  which  being  since  decaid,  other  means  haue 
beene  sought  to  supplie  the  want." 

Here,  then,  we  have  a  list  of  Wells,  which  are,  to- 


Wells.  9 

gether  with  those  I  have  already  mentioned,  quite  suffi- 
cient to  account  for  the  prettier  name  of  the  tc  River  of 
Wells."  Of  these  wells  Stow  writes  in  his  deliciously- 
quaint  phraseology  : — 

"  There  are  (saith  Fitzstephen)  neare 
London,  on  the  North  side  special  wels  in  the  Fitzstepken 
Suburbs,  sweete,  wholesome,  and  cleare,  Hob  ™dl- 
amongst  which  Holy  well,  Clarices  wel,  and 
Clements  wel  are  most  famous,  and  fre- 
quented by  Scholers,  and  youthes  of  the  Cittie 
in  sommer  evenings,  when  they  walke  forthe 
to  take  the  aire. 

"  The  first,  to  wit,  Holy  well,  is  much  de- 
cayed, and  marred  with  filthinesse  laide  there, 
for  the  heightening  of  the  ground  for  garden 
plots. 

"  The  fountaine  called  S.   Clements  well,  elements 
North  from  the  Parish  Church  of  S.  Clements,  clvelL 
and   neare  vnto  an  Inne  of  Chancerie,  called 
Clements  Inne,  is  faire  curbed  square  with  hard 
stone,  kept  cleane  for  common  vse,  and  is 
alwayes  full. 

"  The  third  is  called  Clarkes  well,  or  Clark-  ciarhs  well 
enwell,1  and  is  curbed  about  square  with  hard 
stone,  not  farre  from  the  west  ende  of  Clark- 
enwell  Church,  but  close  without  the  wall 
that  incloseth  it ;  the  sayd  Church  tooke 
the  name  of  the  Well,  and  the  Well  tooke  the 
name  of  the  Parish  Clarkes  in  London,  who 

1  This  is  the  only  one  left  whose  position  is  a  matter  of  certainty. 


IO 


Wells. 


at    Clarks 

well. 


Players  at 
the  Skinners 
<well 


of  old  time  were  accustomed  there  yearely  to 
Playesbythe  assemble,    and    to    play   some    large  hystorie 

Parish  Clarks     r    u    1       C '    •    *  ajt  i  £ 

or  holy  scripture.  And,  for  example,  or 
later  time,  to  wit,  in  the  yeare  1390,  the  14 
of  Richard  the  Second,  I  read  the  Parish  Clarks 
of  London,  on  the  1 8  of  July,  playd  Enter- 
ludes  at  Skinners  well,  neare  vnto  Clarkes  well, 
which  play  continued  three  dayes  togither,  the 
King,  Queene,  and  Nobles  being  present.  Also 
the  yeare  1409,  the  10  of  Henrie  the  4.  they 
played  a  play  at  the  Skinners  well,  which  lasted 
eight  dayes,  and  was  of  matter  from  the 
creation  of  the  worlde.  There  were  to  see 
the  same,  the  most  part  of  the  Nobles  and 
Gentiles  in  England,  &c. 

"  Other  smaller  welles  were  many  neare  vnto 
Clarkes  well,  namely  Skinners  well,  so  called 
for  that  the  Skinners  of  London  held  there 
certaine  playes  yearely  playd  of  holy  Scripture, 
&c.  In  place  whereof  the  wrestlings  haue 
of  later  yeares  beene  kept,  and  is  in  part  con- 
tinued at  Bartholomew  tide. 

"  Then  was  there  Fagges  well,  neare  vnto 
Smithfield  by  the  Charterhouse,  now  lately 
dammed  vp,  Tod  well,  Loders  well,  and  Rad 
well,  all  decayed,  and  so  filled  vp,  that  there 
places  are  hardly  now  discerned. 

cc  Somewhat  North  from  Holy  well  is  one 
other  well  curbed  square  with  stone,  and  is 
called  Dame  Annis  the  Cleave,  and  not  farre 
from  it,  but  somewhat  west,  is  also  one  other 


Skinners 
well. 


IV resiling - 
place. 


Fagges  --well. 


Ponds   and  Pools.  ii 

cleare  water  called  Perillous  pond*  because 
diuerse  youthes  by  swimming  therein  haue 
beene  drowned;  and  thus  much  bee  said  for 
Fountaines  and  Wels. 

"Horse  poole  in  JVestsmithfield,  was  some- 
time a  great  water,  and  because  the  inhabitants 
in  that  part  of  the  Citie  did  there  water  their 
Horses,  the  same  was,  in  olde  Recordes,  called 
Horspoole,  it  is  now  much  decayed,  the  springs 
being  stopped  vp,  and  the  land  waters  falling 
into  the  small  bottome,  remayning  inclosed, 
withBricke,  is  called  Smithfield  pond. 

"  By  S.  Giles  Churchyard  was  a  large  water, 
called  a  Poole.  I  read  in  the  year  1 244  that  p00k  <withoui 
Anne  of  Lodburie  was  drowned  therein ;  Cripplegate. 
this  poole  is  now  for  the  most  part  stopped 
vp,  but  the  spring  is  preserued,  and  was 
cooped  about  with  stone  by  the  Executors  of 
R ichard  Wittington . ' ' 

1  Afterwards    known    as  "  Peerless    Pool,"  an    unmeaning    cog- 
nomen. 


CHAPTER  II. 


LONDON,  for  its  size,  was  indeed  very  well  supplied 
with  water,  although,  of  course,  it  was  not  laid  on 
to  every  house,  as  now,  but,  with  the  exception  of 
those  houses  provided  with  wells,  it  had  to  be  fetched 
from  fixed  public  places,  which  were  fairly  numerous. 
When  the  waters  of  the.  Fleet,  and  Wallbrook,  in  the  pro- 
cess of  time,  became  contaminated,  Henry  III.,  in  the 
2 1  st  year  of  his  reign  (1236),  granted  to  the  Citizens  of 
London  the  privilege  of  conveying  the  waters  of  the 
Tye-bourne  through  leaden  pipes  to  the  City,  "  for  the 
poore  to  drinke,  and  the  rich  to  dresse  their  meate." 
And  it  is  only  a  few  years  since,  that  close  by  what  is 
now  called  "  Sedley  Place,"  Oxford  Street,  but  which 
used  to  be  the  old  hunting  lodge  of  bygone  Lord 
Mayors,  some  of  these  very  pipes  were  unearthed,  a 
fine  cistern  being  uncovered  at  the  same  time. 

For  public  use  there  were  the  great  Conduit  in  West 


14  Water  Supply  of  London. 

Cheape  :  the  Tonne  or  Tun  in  Cornhill,  fountains  at 
Billingsgate,  at  Paul's  Wharf,  and  St.  Giles',  Cripplegate, 
and  conduits  at  Aldermanbury,  the  Standard  in  Fleet 
Street,  Gracechurch  Street,  Holborn  Cross  (afterwards 
Lamb's  Conduit),  at  the  Stocks  Market  (where  the 
Mansion  House  now  stands),  Eishopsgate,  London 
Wall,  Aldgate,  Lothbury — and  this  without  reckoning 
the  supply  furnished  from  the  Thames  by  the  enter- 
prising German,  or  Dutchman,  Pieter  Moritz,  who  in 
1582  started  the  famous  waterworks  close  to  where 
Fishmongers'  Hall  now  stands. 

The  Fleet  river  (I  prefer  that  title  to  the  other  cog- 
nomen, "  Ditch  "),  flowing  through  London,  naturally 
became  somewhat  befouled,  and  in  Henry  the  VII. 's 
time,  circa  1502,  it  was  cleansed,  so  that,  as  aforesaid, 
cc  boats  with  fish  and  fewel  were  rowed  to  Fleete  bridge, 
and  to  Oldburne  bridge."  We  also  know,  as  Stow 
records,  that  more  springs  were  introduced  into  the 
stream  from  Hampstead,  without  effect,  either  as  to 
deepening  or  purifying  the  river,  which  had  an  evil 
reputation  even  in  the  time  of  Edward  I.,  as  we  see  in 
Ryley's  "  Placita  Parliamentaria  "  (ed.  t66i),  p.  340 — 

liAd  peticionem  Com.  Lincoln,  querentis  quod  cum  cur- 
sus  aque,  que  currit  apud  London  sub  Ponte  de  Holeburny 
&  Ponte  de  Fleete  usque  in  Thamisiam  solebat  ita  largus 
&  latus  esse,  ac  profundus,  quod  decern  Naves  vel 
duodecim  ad  predictum  Pontem  de  Fleete  cum  diversis 
rebus  &  mercandisis  solebant  venire,  &  quedam  illarum 
Navium  sub  illo  Ponte  transire,  usque  ad  predictum 
Pontem  de  Holeburn  ad  predictum  cursum  mundanmum 


The  Fleet  to  be  Cleansed.  15 

&  simos  exinde  cariand,  nunc  ille  cursus  per  fordes  & 
inundaciones  Taunatorum  &  p  varias  perturbaciones  in 
predicta  aqua,  factas  &  maxime  per  exaltationem  Caye 
&  diversionem  aque  quam  ipsi  de  Novo  Templo  fecerunt 
ad  Molendina  sua  extra  Castra  Baignard,  quod  Naves 
predicte  minime  intrare  possunt  sicut  solebant,  &  facere 
debeant  &c  unde  supplicat  quod  Maior  de  London 
assumptis  secum  Vice  com.  &  discretionbus  Aldermannis 
cursum  predce  aque  videat,  &  quod  per  visum  &  sacrm 
proborum  &  legalium  hominum  faciat  omnia  nocumenta 
predicte  aque  que  invinerit  ammovere  &  reparare  cursum 
predictum,  &  ipsum  in  tali  statu  manutenere  in  quo 
antiquitus  esse  solebat  &c.  Ita  responsum  est,  Assignen- 
tur  Rogerus  le  Brabazon  &  Const abularius  Turris,  London 
Maior  &  Vice  Com.  London,  quod  ipsi  assumptit  secum 
discretionibus  Aldermannis  London,  £fiV.,  inquirant  per 
sacramentum  £sJV.,  qualiter  fieri  consuevit  &  qualis  cursus. 
Et  necumenta  que  invenerint  ammoveant  &  manueri  faciant 
in  eadem  statu  quo  antiquitus  esse  solebat" 

Latin  for  which  a  modern  schoolboy  would  get 
soundly  rated,  or  birched,  but  which  tells  us  that  even  as 
far  back  as  Edward  I.  the  Fleet  river  was  a  nuisance  ; 
and  as  the  endorsement  (Patent  Roll  35  Edward  I.) 
shows — <c  De  cursu  aquas  de  Fleta  supervivendo  et 
corrigendo,"  i.e.,  that  the  Fleet  river  should  be  looked 
after  and  amended,  But  the  Commission  issued  to 
perfect  this  work  was  discontinued,  owing  to  the  death 
of  the  king.  (Patent  Roll  1  Edward  II.,  pars  1.  m. 
dorso.)  <c  De  Cursu  Aquas  Flete,  &c,  reducend  et 
impedimenta  removend." 


16  Smell  of  the  River. 

And  Prynne,  in  his  edition  of  Cotton's  cc  Records  " 
(ed.  1669,  p.  188),  asks  <c  whether  such  a  commission 
and  inquiry  to  make  this  river  navigable  to  Holborn 
Bridge  or  Clerkenwell,  would  not  now  be  seasonable,  and 
a  work  worthy  to  be  undertaken  for  the  public  benefit, 
trade,  and  health  of  the  City  and  Suburbs,  I  humbly 
submit  to  the  wisdom  and  judgment  of  those  whom 
it  most  Concerns. " 

So  that  it  would  appear,  although  otherwise  stated, 
that  the  Fleet  was  not  navigable  in  May,  1669,  tnedate 
of  the  publication  of  Prynne's  book. 

As  a  matter  of  fact  it  got  to  be  neither  more  nor  less 
than  an  open  sewer,  to  which  the  lines  in  Coleridge's 
"Table  Talk"  would  well  apply — 


In  Coin,  that  town  of  monks  and  bones, 

And  pavements  fang'd  with  murderous  stones, 

And  rags,  and  hags,  and  hideous  wenches, 

I  counted  two-and-seventy  stenches  ; 

All  well-defined  and  genuine  stinks  ! 

Ye  nymphs,  that  reign  o'er  sewers  and  sinks, 

The  river  Rhine,  it  is  well  known, 

Doth  wash  the  City  of  Cologne ; 

But,  tell  me,  nymphs,  what  power  divine 

Shall  henceforth  wash  the  River  Rhine  ?  " 


The  smell  of  the  Fleet  river  was  notorious  ;  so  much 
so,  that  Farquhar,  in  his  Sir  Harry  Wildair,  act  ii.,  says, 
i:  Dicky  !  Oh  !  I  was  just  dead  of  a  Consumption,  till 
the  sweet  smoke  of  Ckeapside,  and.  the  dear  perfume 
of  Fleet  Ditch  made  me  a  man  again  !  "  In  Queen 
Anne's  time,  too,  it  bore  an  evil  reputation  :  vide  The 


Prehistoric  London.  17 

Tatler  (No.    238,    October   17,   17 10)   by  Steele   and 
Swift.  1 

"  Now  from  all  parts  the  swelling  kennels  flow, 
And  bear  their  trophies  with  them  as  they  go  : 
Filth  of  all  hues  and  odours  seem  to  tell 
What  street  they  saiPd  from,  by  their  sight  and  smell. 
They,  as  each  torrent  drives,  with  rapid  force, 
From  Smithfield  or  St.  Pulchre's  shape  their  course, 
And  in  huge  confluent  join'd  at  Snow  Hill  ridge, 
Fall  from  the  Conduit,  prone  to  Holborn  Bridge. 
Sweepings  from  butchers'  stalls,  dung,  guts,  and  blood, 
Drown'd  puppies,  stinking  sprats,  all  drench'd  in  mud, 
Dead  cats  and  turnip-tops  come  tumbling  down  the  flood." 

We  get  a  glimpse  of  prehistoric  London,  and  the 
valley  of  the  Fleet,  in  Gough's  cc  British  Topography," 
vol.  i.  p.  719  (ed.  1780).  Speaking  of  John  Conyers, 
<c  apothecary,  one  of  the  first  Collectors  of  antiquities, 
especially  those  relating  to  London,  when  the  City  was 
rebuilding.  .  .  .  He  inspected  most  of  the  gravel-pits 
near  town  for  different  sorts  and  shapes  of  stones.  In 
one  near  the  sign  of  Sir  J.  Oldcastle,  about  1680, 
he  discovered  the  skeleton  of  an  elephant,  which  he 
supposed  had  lain  there  only  since  the  time  of  the 
Romans,  who,  in  the  reign  of  Claudius,  fought  the 
Britons  near  this  place,  according  to  Selden's  notes  on 
the  Polyolbion.  In  the  same  pit  he  found  the  head  of 
a  British  spear  of  flint,  afterwards  in  the  hands  of  Dr. 
Charlett,  and  engraved  in  Bagford's  letter."  We, 
now-a-days,    with   our    more    accurate    knowledge    of 

x  "Journal  to  Stella,  October  17,  1710 — "This  day  came  out 
The  Tatler,  made  up  wholly  of  my  Shower,  and  a  preface  to  it. 
They  say  it  is  the  best  thing  I  ever  writ,  and  I  think  so  too." 

3 


1 8  Antiquarian  Discoveries. 

Geology  and  Palaeontology,  would  have  ascribed  a  far 
higher  ancestry  to  the  "elephant." 

As  a  matter  of  course,  a  little  river  like  the  Fleet 
must  have  become  the  receptacle  of  many  articles,  which, 
once  dropped  in  its  waters,  could  not  be  recovered  ;  so 
that  it  is  not  surprising  to  read  in  the  Mirror  of 
March  22,  1834  (No.  653,  p.  180),  an  account  of 
antiquarian  discoveries  therein,  which,  if  not  archaeo- 
logically  correct,  is  at  least  interesting. 

"  In  digging  this  Canal  between  Fleet  Prison  and 
Holborn  Bridge,  several  Roman  utensils  were  lately  dis- 
covered at  the  depth  of  1 5  feet ;  and  a  little  deeper,  a 
great  quantity  of  Roman  Coins,  in  silver,  brass,  copper, 
and  all  other  metals  except  gold.  Those  of  silver  were 
ring  money,  of  several  sizes,  the  largest  about  the 
bigness  of  a  Crown,  but  gradually  decreasing ;  the 
smallest  were  about  the  size  of  a  silver  Twopence,  each 
having  a  snip  at  the  edge.  And  at  Holborn  Bridge 
were  dug  up  two  brazen  lares,  or  household  gods,  about 
four  inches  in  length,  which  were  almost  incrusted  with 
a  petrified  matter :  one  of  these  was  Bacchus,  and  the 
other  Ceres  ;  but  the  coins  lying  at  the  bottom  of  the 
current,  their  lustre  was  in  a  great  measure  preserved,  by 
the  water  incessantly  washing  off  the  ^pxydizing  metal. 
Probably  the  great  quantity  of  coin  found  in  this  ditch, 
was  thrown  in  by  the  Roman  inhabitants  of  this  city 
for  its  preservation  at  the  approach  of  Boadiccea  ac 
the  head  of  her  army:  but  the  Roman  Citizens,  without 
distinction  of  age  or  sex,  being  barbarously  murdered 
by  the  justly  enraged  Britons,  it  was  not  discovered  till 
this  time. 


Cleansing  the  Fleet. 


J9 


"  Besides  the  above-mentioned  antiquities,  several 
articles  of  a  more  modern  date  were  discovered,  as 
arrow-heads,  scales,  seals  with  the  proprietors'  names 
upon  them  in  Saxon  characters;  spur  rowels  of  a  hand's 
breadth,  keys  and  daggers,  covered  over  with  livid  rust; 
together  with  a  considerable  number  of  medals,  with 
crosses,  crucifixes,  and  Ave  Marias  engraven  thereon." 

A  paper  was  read,  on  June  n,  1862,  to  the  members 
of  the  British  Archaeological  Association,  by  Mr. 
Ganston,  who  exhibited  various  relics  lately  recovered 
from  the  bed  of  the  river  Fleet,  but  they  were  not  even 
of  archaeological  importance — a  few  knives,  the  earliest 
dating  from  the  fifteenth  century,  and  a  few  knife 
handles. 

Previously,  at  a  meeting  of  the  same  Society,  on 
December  9,  1857,  Mr.  C.  H.  Luxmore  exhibited  a 
green  glazed  earthenware  jug  of  the  sixteenth  century, 
found  in  the  Fleet. 

And,  before  closing  this  antiquarian  notice  of  the 
Fleet,  I  cannot  but  record  some  early  mention  of  the 
river  which  occur  in  the  archives  of  the  Corporation  of 
the  City  of  London  : — 

(17  Edward  III.,  a.d.  1343,  Letter-book  F,  fol. 
67.)  "  Be  it  remembered  that  at  the  Hustings  of 
Common  Pleas,  holden  on  the  Monday  next  before  the 
Feast  of  Gregory  the  Pope,  in  the  17th  year  of  the 
reign  of  King  Edward,  after  the  Conquest,  the  Third, 
Simon  Traunceys,  Mayor,  the  Aldermen  and  the  Com- 
monalty, of  the  City  of  London,  for  the  decency  and 
cleanliness  of  the  same  city,  granted  upon  lease  to  the 


20  Fouling  the  River. 

butchers  in  the  Parish  of  St.  Nicholas  Shambles,  in 
London,  a  piece  of  land  in  the  lane  called  '  Secollane ' 
(sea  coal),  neare  to  the  water  of  Flete,  for  the  purpose 
of  there,  in  such  water,  cleansing  the  entrails  of  beasts. 
And  upon  such  piece  of  land  the  butchers  aforesaid  were 
to  repair  a  certain  quay  at  their  charges,  and  to  keep 
the  same  in  repair ;  they  paying  yearly  to  the  Mayor  of 
London  for  the  time  being,  at  the  Feast  of  our  Lord's 
Nativity,  one  boar's  head."  x 

(31  Edward  III.,  a.d.  1357,  Letter-book  G,  fol. 
72.)  "  Also,  it  is  ordered,  that  no  man  shall  take,  or 
cause  to  be  carried,  any  manner  of  rubbish,  earth, 
gravel,  or  dung,  from  out  of  his  stables  or  elsewhere,  to 
throw,  and  put  the  same  into  the  rivers  of  Thames  and 
Flete,  or  into  the  Fosses  around  the  walls  of  the  City  : 
and  as  to  the  dung  that  is  found  in  the  streets  and  lanes, 
the  same  shall  be  carried  and  taken  elsewhere  out  of  the 
City  by  carts,  as  heretofore  ;  or  else  by  the  raykers  2  to 
certain  spots,  that  the  same  may  be  put  into  the  donge- 
botesfi  without  throwing  anything  into  the  Thames  ;  for 
saving  the  body  of  the  river,  and  preserving  the  quays, 
such  as  Dowegate,  Quenhethe,  and  Castle  Baynards, 
(and)  elsewhere,  for  lading  and  unlading;  as  also, 
for  avoiding  the  filthiness  that  is  increasing  in  the  water, 
and  upon  the  banks  of  the  Thames,  to  the  great  abomi- 
nation and  damage  of  the  people.  And,  if  any  one 
shall  be  found  doing  the  Contrary  hereof,  let  him  have 

1  "  Memorials  of  London   and  London   Life  in  the  Thirteenth, 
Fourteenth,  and  Fifteenth  Centuries,"  by  H.  J.  Riley,  1868,  p.  214. 

2  The  street  sweepers.  3  Dung  boats. 


Rivers  Rising  at  Hampstead.  21 

the  prison  for  his  body,  and  other  heavy  punishment  as 
well,  at  the  discretion  of  the  Mayor  and  of  the  Alder* 
•  men."  1 

(7  Henry  V.  a.d.  141 9,  Journal  1,  fol.  61.) 
"  It  is  granted  that  the  risshbotes  2  at  the  Flete  and  else- 
where in  London  shall  be  taken  into  the  hands  of  the 
Chamberlain ;  and  the  Chamberlain  shall  cause  all  the 
streets  to  be  cleansed."  3 

The  northern  heights  of  London,  the  "  ultima  Thule" 
of  men  like  Keats,  and  Shelley,  abound  in  springs, 
which  form  the  bases  of  several  little  streams,  which  are 
fed  on  their  journey  to  their  bourne,  the  Thames  (to 
which  they  act  as  tributaries),  by  numerous  little  brook- 
lets and  rivulets,  which  help  to  swell  their  volume.  On 
the  northern  side  of  the  ridge  which  runs  from  Hamp- 
stead to  Highgate,  birth  is  given  to  the  Brent,  which, 
springing  from  a  pond  in  the  grounds  of  Sir  Spencer 
Wells,  is  pent  up  in  a  large  reservoir  at  Hendon,  and 

1  See  Riley,  p.  299. 

2  This  was  probably  because  the  rushes  were  spilt  ill  the  river. 
At  that  time  the  house-floors  were  strewn  with  rushes,  which  were 
brought  to  London  in  "Rush  boats;"  and  an  ordinance,  temp. 
4  Henry  V.,  provides  that  "  all  rushes  in  future,  laden  in  boats  or 
skiffs,  and  brought  here  for  sale,  should  be  sold  by  the  cart-load,  as 
from  of  old  had  been  wont  to  be  done.  And  that  the  same  cart- 
loads were  to  be  made  up  within  the  boats  and  skiffs  in  which  the 
said  rushes  are  brought  to  the  City,  and  not  upon  the  ground,  or 
upon  the  wharves,  walls,  or  embankments  of  the  water  of  Thames, 
near  or  adjacent  to  such  boats  or  skiffs;  under  a  heavy  penalty  upon 
the  owner  or  owners  of  such  boats,  skiffs,  and  rushes,  at  the  dis- 
cretion of  the  Mayor  and  Aldermen." 

3  See  Riley,  p.  675. 


22 


The  Tye-bourne. 


finally  debouches  into  the  Thames  at  Brentford,  where, 
from  a  little  spring,  which  it  is  at  starting,  it  becomes  so 
far  a  "  fleet "  as  to  allow  barges  to  go  up  some  distance. 


01,  M#$|ft 


c^ZA% — -St: 


SHEPHERD  S  WELL,   HAMPSTEAD 


On  the  southern  side  of  the  ridge  rise  the  Tybourne, 
and  the  Westbourne.  The  former  had  its  rise  in  a 
spring  called  Shepherd's   Well,  in    Shepherd's    Fields, 


The  West-bourne.  23 

Hampstead,  which  formed  part  of  the  district  now 
known  as  Belsize  Park  and  Fitzjohn's  Avenue,  which 
is  the  finest  road  of  private  houses  in  London.  Shep- 
herd's Well  is  depicted  in  Hone's  "  Table  Book," 
pp.  381,  2,  and  shows  it  as  it  was  over  fifty  years  since. 
Alas  !  it  is  a  thing  of  the  past ;  a  railway  tunnel  drained 
the  spring,  and  a  mansion,  now  known  as  The  Conduit 
Lodge,  occupies  its  site.  It  meandered  by  Belsize 
House,  through  St.  John's  Wood,  running  into  Regent's 
Park,  where  St.  Dunstan's  now  is,  and,  close  to  the 
Ornamental  Water,  it  was  joined  by  a  little  rivulet  which 
sprang  from  where  now,  is  the  Zoological  Gardens.  It 
went  across  Marylebone  Road,  and,  as  nearly  as  possible, 
Marylebone  Lane  shows  its  course ;  then  down  South 
Molton  Street,  passing  Brook  Street,  and  Conduit  Street, 
by  Mayfair,  to  Clarges  Street,  across  Oxford  Street  and 
into  a  pond  in  the  Green  Park  called  the  Ducking  Pond, 
which  was  possibly  used  as  a  place  of  punishment  for 
scolds,  or  may  have  been  an  ornamental  pond  for  water- 
fowl. Thence  it  ran  in  front  of  Buckingham  Palace, 
where  it  divided,  which  was  the  cause  of  its  name. 
Twy,  or  Teo  (double),  and  Bourne,  Brook — one  stream 
running  into  the  Thames  west  of  Millbank,  doing  duty 
by  the  way  in  turning  the  Abbey  Mill  (whence  the  name), 
and  the  other  debouching  east  of  Westminster  Bridge, 
thus  forming  the  Island  of  Thorns,  or  Thorney  Isle,  on 
which  Edward  the  Confessor  founded  his  abbey,  and  the 
City  of  Westminster. 

The  Westbourne  took  its  rise  in  a  small  pond  near 
"  Telegraph  Hill,"  at  Hampstead  ;  two  or  three  brook- 
lets joined  it,  and  it  ran  its  course  across  the  Finchley 


24 


Course  of  the  West-bourne. 


Road,  to  the  bottom  of  Alexandra  Road,  Kilburn,  where 
it  was  met  by  another  stream,  which  had  its  source  at 
Frognal,  Hampstead.  It  then  became  the  West  bourne, 
as  being  the  most  westerly  of  all  the  rivers  near 
London,  taking  the  Wallbrook,  the  Fleet,  and  the 
Tybourne. 

Its  course  may  be  traced  down  Kilburn  Park  Road, 
and  Shirland  Road.  Crossing  the  Harrow  Road 
where  now  is  Royal  Oak  Station,  Eastbourne  and 
IVestbourne  Terraces  mark  the  respective  banks,  and, 
after  crossing  the  Uxbridge  Road,  it  runs  into  the 
Serpentine  at  the  Engine  House.  Feeding  that  sheet  of 
water,  it  comes  out  again  at  the  Albert  Gate  end,  runs 
by  Lowndes  Square,  Cadogan  Place,  &c,  and,  finally, 
falls  into  the  river  at  Chelsea  Hospital. 


CHAPTER    III. 


THE  Fleet,  as  far  as  can  be  ascertained,  owes  its  birth 
to  an  ornamental  water,  fed  by  springs — one  of  the 
numerous  ponds  in  Highgate  and  Hampstead — in 
the  park  of  Ken  Wood,  the  seat  of  Earl  Mansfield, 
now  occasionally  occupied  by  the  fourth  successor  to  that 
title;  who,  being  keeper  of  the  royal  Castle  of  Scone, 
prefers,  as  a  rule,  his  northern  residence.  In  the  No 
Popery  riots  of  1780,  with  which  Lord  George  Gordon 
was  so  intimately  connected,  Ken  Wood  House  was  on 
the  brink  of  being  destroyed  by  the  rioters,  who  had, 
already,  wrecked  his  lordship's  house  in  Bloomsbury 
Square,  and  destroyed  his  most  valuable  library. 
Tradition  says  that  Ken  Wood  was  saved  owing  to  the 
landlord  of  tc  The  Spaniards,"  well  known  to  all  pedes- 
trian frequenters  of  Hampstead,  giving  them  his  beer, 
&c,  until  they  were  incapacitated,  or  unwilling,  to  fulfil 
their  quest,  meanwhile  sending  messengers  for  the 
Horse  Guards,  who  opportunely  arrived,  and  prevented 
the  destruction  of  the  mansion.      It  is  quite  possible 


26  Course  of  the  Fleet. 

that  this  is  a  true  story,  for  a  footnote  (p.  69)  in 
Prickett's  "History  of  Highgate  "  says:  "  The  fol- 
lowing is  copied  from  a  receipt  of  one  of  the  constables 
of  the  Hundred  of  Ossulston  :  c  Received  8s.  6d.,  being 
the  proportion  taxed  and  assessed  for  and  towards  the 
payment  of  the  several  taxations  and  assessments  which 
have  been  made  upon  the  said  Parish  (amounting  to 
the  sum  of  £187.  18s.  7d.)  towards  an  equal  contri- 
bution, to  be  had  and  made  for  the  relief  of  the 
several  inhabitants  of  said  Hundred ;  against  whom, 
the  several  persons  who  were  damnified  by  rioters  within 
the  same  Hundred,  in  the  month  of  June,  1780,  have 
obtained  verdicts,  and  had  their  executions  respec- 
tively/" 

Commencing  thus  in  one  of  the  prettiest  parts  of  the 
most  picturesque  suburbs  of  London,  it  flows  from  one 
to  the  other,  right  through  the  chain  of  the  Highgate 
Ponds,  fed  by  several  rills,  the  first  being  near  the 
Hampstead  end  of  Millfield  Lane — which  is,  by  some, 
regarded  as  its  source.  From  the  lower  pond  it  crossed 
the  Highgate  Road,  and,  for  some  distance,  it  ran 
parallel  with  it,  although  a  little  way  eastward.  It 
again  crossed  the  Highgate  Road  not  far  from  its  junc- 
tion with  the  Kentish  Town  Road,  the  course  of  which 
it  followed,  until  it  came  to  Hawley  Road,  where  it  was 
joined  by  a  sister  brook,  whose  source  was  the  pond  in 
the  Vale  of  Health  at  Hampstead,  flowing  from  which, 
it  was  fed  by  a  brooklet,  over  which  the  abortive  viaduct 
of  Sir  Thomas  Marion  Wilson's  construction  is  carried. 
It  ran  into,  and  through,  the  Hampstead  Ponds,  which 
end  at  the  lower  east  heath,  near  Pond  Street  (a  locality 


The  Hampstead  Ponds.  27 

easily  recognized  when  once  any  one  has  seen  St. 
Stephen's  Church,  Haverstock  Hill,  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  churches  in  London).  These  ponds  are  im- 
mortal, if  they  needed  immortality,  as  the  very  first 
page  of  "  Pickwick  "  gives  an  entry  in  the  Transactions 
of  the  Pickwick  Club  : 

c<  May  12,  1827.  Joseph  Smiggers,  Esq.,  P. V. P., 
M.P.C.,  presiding.  The  following  resolutions  unani- 
mously agreed  to — - 

"  c  That  this  Association  has  heard  read,  with  feelings 
of  unmingled  satisfaction,  and  unqualified  approval,  the 
paper  communicated  by  Samuel  Pickwick,  Esq.,  G.C., 
M.P.C.,  entitled,  "Speculations  on  the  Source  of  the 
Hampstead  Ponds,  with  some  observations  on  the 
Theory  of  Tittlebats  "  ;  and  that  this  Association  does 
hereby  return  its  warmest  thanks  to  the  said  Samuel 
Pickwick,  Esq.,  G.C.,  M.P.C.,  for  the  same/  " 

Its  memory  is  still  retained  in  the  Fleet  Road. 

On  its  way  through  Kentish  Town  it  passed  through 
a  purely  pastoral  country,  such  as  we,  who  know  the 
district  only  as  covered  with  houses,  can  hardly  reconcile 
with  existing  circumstances.  The  Guildhall  Collection 
relating  to  the  Fleet  River,  is  very  rich  in  water-colour 
drawings  and  pen-and-ink  sketches  of  undoubted 
authenticity,  and  from  them  I  have  selected  what,  in 
my  opinion,  are  the  most  suitable  for  this  work.1 

From  the  above,  and  this  view  of  Highgate,  so  Jate 
back    as    1845,  we    can    fairly   judge    of  the   pleasant 

1  See  pages  28,  29,  30,  31,  &c. 


28 


Rural   Fleet. 


scenery  which  existed  almost  at  our  doors — before  the 
iron  roads  brought  population,  which  begat  houses, 
which  destroyed  all  rusticity,  leaving  bricks  and  mortar 
on  the  site  of  verdant  meads,  and  millions  of  chimneys 


THE   FLEET,    KENTISH   TOWN.      Circa    1837. 

vomiting  unconsumed  carbon  and  sulphur,  in  the  place 
of  the  pure  fresh  air  which  once  was  dominant. 

Here  we  see  the  Fleet  running  its  quiet  course — and 
the  other  sketches  bear  witness  to  its  rurality. 


Gospel  Oak, 


29 


After  the  Fleet  had  recrossed  the  Highgate  Road 
near  the  junction  of  that  road  and  the  Kentish  Town 
Road,  it  passed  near  the  Gospel  Oak,  which  now  gives 


VIEW    OF   THE   VALLEY   OF   THE    FLEET   AND    HIGHGATE   CHURCH, 
FROM    FORTESS   TERRACE,    KENTISH    TOWN,    SEPT.    28,    1845. 

( Water  colour  by  A.  Crosby?) 

its  name  to  a  railway  station  in  the  locality.  About 
this  oak,  there  was  a  tradition  that  it  was  so  called 
because  St.  Augustine  preached  underneath  its  boughs — 


3° 


Gospel  Oak. 


a  fact  which  is  probably  as  correct  as  the  story  that  the 
Church  of  St.  Pancras  was  the  first  Christian  Church  in 


THE    FLEET   AT   KENTISH    TOWN. 


England.  In  truth,  there  are,  or  were,  many  Gospel 
Oaks  and  Elms  throughout  the  country;  for  instance, 
there  is  an  iron  foundry  near  the  parishes  of  Tipton 


Parliament  Hill.  31 

and  Wednesbury  called  Gospel  Oak  Works.  It  was,  as 
a  matter  of  fact,  a  traditionary  custom,  in  many  places, 
when,  on  Holy  Thursday  (Ascension  Day),  the  parochial 
bounds  were  beaten,  to  read  a  portion  of  the  Gospels 
under  some  well-known  tree,  and  hence  its  name.  One 
or  two  quotations  will  easily  prove  this. 

In  the  "Bury  Wills/'  p.  118,  is  the  following  passage 
in  the  will  of  John  Cole  of  Thelnetham,  dated  May  8, 
1527  :  <c  Item,  I  will  haue  a  newe  crosse  made  according 
to  Trappett's  crosse  at  the  Hawe  lanes  ende,  and  set  vp 


THE   FLEET   AT  KENTISH   TOWN. 


at  Short  Grove's  end,  where  the  gospell  is  sayd  vpon 
Ascension  Even,  for  ye  wch  I  assigne  xs." 

And,  in  the  poem  of  Herrick's  "  Hesperides,"  which 
is  addressed  cc  To  Anthea." 

"Dearest,  bury  me 
Under  that  holy  Oke,  or  Gospel  Tree  ; 
Where,  (though  thou  see'st  not,)  thou  may'st  think  upon 
Me,  when  thou  yerely  go'st  procession." 

It  also  passed  near  Parliament,  or  Traitors*,  Hill — a 
name  which  is  much  in  dispute  ;  some  maintaining  that 
it  was  fortified  by  the  Parliamentary  Army,  under 
Cromwell,    for   the  protection  of  London,  others   that 


32  Kentish  Town. 

the  5th  of  November  conspirators  met  here  to  view  the 
expected  explosion  of  the  Houses  of  Parliament.  This, 
which  forms  the  most  southern  part  of  Hampstead 
Heath,  and  therefore  the  nearest,  and  most  accessible  to 
the  great  bulk  of  Londoners,  has  a  beautiful  view  of 
Highgate  and  London,  and  has,  I  am  happy  to  say, 
been  preserved  as  an  open  space  for  the  public. 

We  have  now  followed  the  Fleet  in  its  course  to 
Kentish  Town,  the  etymon  of  which  is,  to  say  the  least, 
somewhat  hazy.  Being  so,  of  course,  an  immense 
amount  of  theory  has  been  expended  upon  it.  Some 
contend  that  it  springs  from  the  Prebendary  attached 
to  St.  Paul's  Cathedral,  of  Cantelupe,  or  Cantelows, 
now  (in  Crockford,  called  Cantlers)  :  one  antiquary 
suggesting  that  it  owes  its  name  to  the  delta  formed 
by  the  junction  of  the  two  branches  of  the  Fleet — from 
Cant  or  Can  tie,  a  corner ; — whilst  yet  another  authority 
thinks  that,  as  the  Fleet  had  its  source  from  Ken  Wood 
— it  was  called  Ken-ditch — hence  Kenditch  or  Kentish 
Town.  Be  it  as  it  may,  it  was  a  very  pleasant  and 
rural  suburb,  and  one  of  some  note,  for  herein  William 
Bruges,  Garter  King-at-Arms,  had  a  country  house,  at 
which  he  entertained,  in  the  year  141 6,  the  Emperor 
Sigismund,  who  came  over  here,  in  that  year,  to  try  and 
mediate  between  our  Henry  V.  and  the  King  of  France. 

In  still  older  times  it  formed  part  of  the  great 
Middlesex  forest,  which  was  full  of  wolves,  wild  boars, 
deer,  and  wild  oxen;  but  we  find  that,  in  1252,  Henry 
III.  granted  to  Thomas  Ive,  permission  to  inclose  a 
portion  of  the  highway  adjoining  his  mansion  at 
Kentessetone.      And    in    1357,  John  of  Oxford,  who 


Castle   Inn.  35 

was  Mayor  of  London  in  1341,  gave,  amongst  other 
things,  to  the  Priory  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  in  London, 
a  mill  at  Kentish  Town — which,  of  course,  must  have 
been  turned  by  the  Fleet.  The  kind  donor  was  one 
of  the  very  few  Mayors  who  died  during  his  mayoralty. 

It  is  said,  too,  that  Nell  Gwynne  had  a  house  in 
Kentish  Town,  but  I  can  find  not  the  slightest  con- 
firmation of  the  rumour  ;  still,  as  there  is  a  very  good 
pen-and-ink  sketch  of  the  old  house  said  to  be  hers, 
I  give  it,  as  it  helps  to  prove  the  antiquity  of  Kentish 
Town,  now,  alas !  only  too  modern. 

And  there  was  another  old  house  close  by  the  Fleet 
there,  an  old  farmhouse  known  as  Brown's  dairy. 

This  old  Farmhouse  had,  evidently,  a  nobler  origin, 
for  it  was  moated;  and,  in  1838,  the  moat  existed  on 
the  east  and  north  sides.  It  belonged  to  the  College 
of  Christ  Church,  Oxford,  and  was  held  of  the  Manor 
of  Cantelows  at  a  small  fine.  There  was  a  good 
orchard,  which  at  the  above  date  (the  time  of  its 
demolition)  contained  a  large  walnut  tree  and  some 
mulberry  trees.  The  building  materials  were  sold  for 
£60,  so  that  it  evidently  had  done  its  work,  and  passed 
away  in  the  ripeness  of  old  age. 

The  Castle  Inn  l  is  said  to  have  been  the  oldest  house- 
in  Kentish  Town,  and  there  is  a  tradition  that  Lord 
Nelson  once  lived  here,  cc  in  order  that  he  might  keep 
his  eye  upon  the  Fleet,"  and  planted  a  sycamore  in  the 
garden. 

Before  taking  leave  of  Kentish  Town,  I  cannot  help 

1  See  next  page. 


36 


Traitors'  and  Parliament  Hill. 


recording  a  legal  squabble,  which  resulted  in  a  victory 
for  the  public. — Times,  February  12,  1841  :- — 

cf  Court  of  Queen's  Bench,  Thursday,  February 
11,  1 841.  (Sittings  at  Nisi  Prius,  at  Westminster,  before 
Lord  Denman  and  a  special  jury.) 

"The  Queen  v.  Tubb. 
"This  was  an  Indictment  against  the  Defendant  for 
obstructing  a  footpath    leading   from    Pond    Lane,    at 


CASTLE,    KENTISH    TOWN    ROAD 


Hampstead,  over  Traitors'  and  Parliament  Hill,  to 
Highgate. 

cc  The  case  lasted  the  whole  day. 

cc  The  jury  brought  a  verdict  for  the  Crown,  thus 
establishing  the  right  of  the  Public  to  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  walks  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  metro- 
polis." 


The  Fleet  babbled   through   the   meadows,  until  its 


Burials  at  St.  Pancras.  37 

junction  with  that  other  stream  which  flowed  from  the 
pond  in  the  Vale  of  Health  at  Hampstead,  which 
took  place  where  now  is  Hawley  Street,  and  the  united 
brook,  or  river,  ran  across  what  are  now  the  Kentish, 
and  Camden,  Town  Roads,  and  between  Great  College 
Street,  and  King  Street ;  it  then  followed  the  course  of 
the  present  road  to  King's  Cross,  passing  by  St.  Pancras 
Church — which,  originally,  was  of  great  antiquity,  and 
close  by  which  was  a  celebrated  healing  well,  known 
as  Pancras'  Wells.  These  waters  cured  everything — 
scurvy,  king's  evil,  leprosy,  cancers,  ulcers,  rheumatism, 
disorders  of  the  eyes,  and  pains  of  the  stomach  and 
bowels,  colds,  worms,  &c,  &c. 

In  the  Church,  and  Churchyard,  were  interred  many 
illustrious  dead,  especially  Roman  Catholics,  who  seem 
to  have  taken  a  particular  fancy  to  have  their  remains 
buried  there,  probably  on  account  of  the  tradition  that 
this  was  the  last  church  in  which  mass  was  celebrated. 
It  was  a  favourite  burial-place  of  the  French  clergy — 
and  a  story  is  told  (how  true  I  know  not)  that,  down  to 
the  French  Revolution,  masses  were  celebrated  in  a 
church  in  the  south  of  France,  dedicated  to  St.  Pancras, 
for  the  souls  of  the  faithful  interred  here. 

Many  historical  names  are  here  preserved — amongst 
whom  are  Pasco  de  Paoli,  the  famous  Corsican ; 
Walker,  whose  dictionary  is  still  a  text  book;  the 
Chevalier  d'Eon,  respecting  whose  sex  there  was  once 
such  a  controversy ;  Count  O'Rourke,  famous  in  the 
world  of  fashion  in  1785  ;  Mrs.  Godwin — better 
known,  perhaps,  as  Mary  Woolstencraft — who  also 
was    married    here  ;     William    Woollett,    the    eminent 


38 


The  Brill. 


landscape  engraver,  a  branch  of  art  in  which  he  may 
be  said  to  have  been  the  father ;  Samuel  Cooper, 
whose  miniatures  cannot  be  surpassed;  Scheemaker  the 
younger,  a  sculptor  of  no  small  note.  Nor  in  this 
campo  santo  was  Music  unrepresented,  for  there,  amongst 
others,  lie  the  bodies  of  Mazzinghi,  who  brought  the 
violin  into  fashion  here  in  1740;  and  Beard,  a  celebrated 

«ak  jknsri, 


THE    BRILL. 


singer  in  1753.  The  river  flows  hence  to  Battle  Bridge, 
or  King's  Cross,  as  it  is  now  termed,  forming  in  its  way 
a  sort  of  pond  called  "  Pancras  Wash,"  and  running 
through  a  low-lying  district  called  "The  Brill."  This 
peculiarly  unsavoury  neighbourhood  has  now  been 
cleared  away,  in  order  to  afford  siding  room,  &c,  for 
the  Midland  Railway. 

But  Dr.  Stukeley,  who  certainly  had  Roman  Camps 


The  Brill. 


39 


on  the  brain,  discovered  one  in  the  Brill.  He  planned 
it  out  beautifully.  Here  were  the  Equites  posted,  there 
the  Hastati,  and  there  were  the  Auxiliarii.  He  made 
the  Fleet  do  duty  for  a  moat  which  nearly  surrounded 
Caesar's  Pra^torium,  and  he  placed  a  Forum  close  by  St. 
Pancras'  Church,  to  the  northward  of  which  he  assigned 
a  Practorium  to  Prince  Mandubrace.  Is  it  not  true  ? 
for  is  it  not  all  written  in  his  "  Itinerary  "  ?  and  does  he 
not  devote  the  first  seventeen  pages  of  the  second 
volume  of  that  work,  entirely  to  the  Brill,  assuring  us 
of  the  great  pleasure  he  received  in  striding  over  the 
ground — following,  in  imagination,  the  footsteps  of  the 
Roman  Camp  Master,  who  paced  out  the  dimensions 
of  the  Camp  ? 


CHAPTER  IV. 


THAT  it  was  countrified  about  this  part  of  Lon- 
don, is  shown  by  the  accompanying  Copy  of  an 
engraving,   by  J.   T.    Smith,   of  a   view    "  near 
Battle  Bridge."  i 

The  etymology  of  Battle  Bridge,  which  consists  of 
only  one  arch,  and  now  forms  a  part  of  the  Fleet 
Sewer,  is  a  much  vexed  question.  At  one  time  it  was 
an  article  of  faith,  not  to  be  impugned,  that  here, 
a.d.  6 1,  was  fought  the  famous  battle  between  the 
Romans,  under  Suetonius  Paulinus,  and  the  Britons, 
under  Boadicea,  Queen  of  the  Iceni,  which  ended  so 
disastrously  for  the  natives — eighty  thousand  of  whom 
are  said  to  have  been  killed.  But  there  seems  to  be  a 
doubt,  as  to  whether  this  was  the  exact  spot  where  this 
historical  contest  took  place,  for  Tacitus  makes  no 
mention  of  the  little  river  Fleet,  which  must  then  have 
been  navigable  for  light  and  small  craft,  for  an  anchor 
was  found,  in  its  bed,  at  Kentish  Town.  He  only 
describes    it    (Tacit.   Ann.    lib.   xiv.   c.   34)  a   spot   ol 

1  Sec  next  page. 


42 


Battle  Bridge. 


ground,  "  narrow  at  the  entrance,  and  sheltered  in  the 
rear  by  a  thick  forest."  No  remains  have  ever  been 
exhumed,  nor  have  Roman,  or  British,  relics  been  found 
near  the  spot. 

In  the  first  quarter  of  this  century  the  Fleet,  for  the 


BATTLE   BRIDGE. 


greater  part  of  its  time,  ran  placidly  along,  as  we  see  by 
these  two  pen-and-ink  sketches,  taken  at  Battle  Bridge.1 
But,  occasionally,  it  forgot  its  good  manners,  and  over- 
flowed its  banks,  flooding  portions  of  Kentish  Town, 
Somers   Town,   and   Battle  Bridge,  as  we  read  in  the 


See  pages  43,  44. 


Battle  Bridge. 


43 


Gentleman  s  Maga 


zine, 


vol.   Ixxxviii.    part   i.    p.   462, 


Saturday,  May  9,  18 18  : — 

"From  the  heavy  rain,  which  commenced  yesterday 
afternoon  at  six  o'clock,  and  continued  pouring  inces- 
santly till  four  this  morning,  Battle  Bridge,  St.  Pancras, 
and  part  of  Somers  Town  were  inundated.  The  water 
was  several  feet  deep  in  many  of  the  houses,  and  covered 
an  extent  of  upwards  of  a  mile.    The  carcases  of  several 


F** 

{  ^^Ss^isgs^B. 

sUs 

^^fis^^^^^^ML, ^=f- 

^^J^^^^ 

BATTLE    IJKIiH.li. 


sheep  and  goats  were  found  near  Hampstead  Reservoir, 
and  property  was  damaged  to  a  very  considerable 
amount." 

There  must  have  been  a  Mill  here,  for  Stow  tells  us 
that  in  the  reign  of  Edward  VI.  "  A  Miller  of  Battaile 
Bridge  was  set  on  the  Pillory  in  Cheape,  and  had  both 
his  eares  cut  ofT,  for  seditious  words  by  him  spoken 
against  the  Duke  of  Somerset/' 


King's  Cross.  45 

Here,  as  elsewhere,  just  outside  London,  the  road  was 
not  too  safe  for  travellers,  as  the  following  account  of  a 
highway  robbery  will  show.  It  was  committed,  by  one 
John  Everett,  whose  career  in  life  had  been  rather 
chequered.  As  an  apprentice  he  ran  away,  and  enlisted 
in  Flanders,  rising  to  the  rank  of  sergeant.  When  the 
troops  returned,  he  purchased  his  discharge,  and  got  a 
situation  in  the  Whitechapel  Debtors'  Court,  but  had  to 
leave  it,  and  he  became  a  companion  of  thieves,  against 
whom  he  turned  king's  evidence.  He  got  into  debt, 
and  was  locked  up  in  the  Fleet  Prison,  but  was  allowed 
to  reside  within  the  Rules,  a  district  round  about  the 
prison,  out  of  which  no  prisoner  might  wander ;  and 
there,  in  the  Old  Bailey,  he  kept  a  public-house.  But 
he  could  not  keep  away  from  evil  doing,  and  was  sent 
to  Newgate.  On  the  expiration  of  his  sentence,  he 
turned  highwayman.  In  the  course  of  his  professional 
career  he,  on  December  24,  1730,  stopped  a  Coach  at 
Battle  Bridge,  which  coach  contained  two  ladies,  a  child, 
and  a  maidservant,  and  he  despoiled  them,  but  not 
uncivilly.  The  husband  of  one  of  the  ladies  coming  up, 
pursued  him,  and  next  day  he  was  caught.  It  was 
not  then,  any  more  than  it  is  now,  that  every  rogue  got 
his  deserts,  but  this  one  did,  for  he  was  hanged  at 
Tyburn,  February  20,  1731. 

The  name  of  "  Battle  Bridge  "  is  well-nigh  forgotten, 
and  "  King's  Cross  "  reigns  in  its  stead.  Yet  how  few 
Londoners  of  the  present  generation  know  whence  the 
name  is  derived  !  If  they  ever  trouble  their  heads  about 
it  at  all,  they  probably  imagine  that  it  was  a  cross,  like 
"he  Eleanor  Crosses,  raised  to  the  memory  of  some  king. 


46  King's  Cross. 

And  what  king,  think  you,  was  it  intended  to  keep  in 
perpetual  remembrance  ?  None  other  than  his  Most 
Gracious  Majesty  King  George  the  Fourth,  of  pious 
memory.  Why  this  monument  was  raised  I  have  never 
been  able  to  learn,  unless  it  was  to  celebrate  his  death, 
which  took  place  in  1830,  and  probably  to  hold  up  his 
many  virtues,  as  bright  exemplars,  to  ages  yet  unborn ; 
but  a  mad  fit  came  over  the  inhabitants  of  Battle  Bridge, 
and  the  hideous  structure  arose.  It  was  all  shoddy  ;  in 
the  form  of  an  octagon  building  ornamented  with 
pilasters,  all  substantially  built  of  brick,  and  covered 
over  with  compo  or  cement,  in  order  to  render  it  more 
enduring.  It  was  used  as  a  police-station,  and  after- 
wards as  a  public-house,  whilst  the  pediment  of  the 
statue  was  utilized  as  a  camera  obscura.  I  don't  think 
they  knew  exactly  what  they  were  about,  for  one  party 
wanted  it  to  be  called  Boadicea's  Cross,  another  went  in 
for  it  being  nationally  named  St.  George's  Cross ;  but 
the  goodness  of  the  late  king  was  more  popular,  and 
carried  the  day,  and  we  now  enjoy  the  nominis  umbra 
of  King's  Cross,  instead  of  the  old  cognomen  of  Battle 
Bridge.  It  had  a  very  brief  existence.  It  was  built 
between  1830  and  1835,  and  was  demolished  in  1845  > 
the  stucco  statue  only  having  been  in  situ  for  ten  years. 
It  is  said  that  the  nose  of  this  regal  statue  had,  for  its 
base,  an  earthen  draining  tile,  and  that  it  was  offered  to 
a  gentleman  for  sixpence  ! 

There  hardly  seems  to  be  any  connection  between 
cc  the  first  gentleman  in  Europe ''  and  dustmen,  but 
there  is  a  slight  link.  Battle  Bridge  was  peculiarly  the 
home  of  the  necessary  dustman,  and  in  a  song  called 
"  The  Literary  Dustman,"  commencing — 


The  Dust  Heaps. 


47 


"They  call  me  Adam  Bell,  'tis  clear 
That  Adam  vos  the  fust  man, 
And  by  a  co-in-side-ance  queer 
Vy  I'm  the  fust  of  dustmen," 

is  the  following  verse  : — 

"  Great  sculptors  all  conwarse  wi'  me, 
And  call  my  taste  divine,  sirs, 
King  George's  statty  at  King's  Cross, 
Vos  built  from  my  design,  sirs.'* 

Close  by  here,  in  Gray's  Inn  Road,  was  a  mountain 
of  refuse  and  dust;  but  it  was  as  profitable  as  were  the 


DUST    IIEAr    AT    BATTLE    BRIDGE. 


heaps  of  Mr.  Boffin  in  Charles  Dickens's  c<  Our  Mutual 
Friend."  This  mound  once  had  a  curious  clearance,  so 
it  is  said.  It  was  bought  in  its  entirety,  and  sent  over 
to  Russia,  to  help  make  bricks  to  rebuild  Moscow  ;  and 
the  ground  on  which  it  stood  was,  in  1826,  sold  to  a 
Company  for  £  1  5,000. 

"  My  dawning  Genus  fust  did  peep, 
Near  Battle  Bridge,  'tis  plain,  sirs : 
You  recollect  the  cinder  heap, 
Vot  stood  in  Gray's  Irin  Lane,  sirs?" 


48  St.  Chad's  Well. 

Let  us  turn  to  a  sweeter  subject,  and  gossip  about 
St.  Chad's  Well,  the  site  of  which  is  now  occupied  by 
the  Metropolitan  Railway  at  King's  Cross.  St.  Chad  is 
a  saint  in  the  English  calendar,  and  might  have  been  a 
distinguished  temperance  leader,  if  the  number  of  wells 
dedicated  to  him,  is  any  criterion.  He  lived  in  the 
seventh  century,  and  was  educated  at  Lindisfarne  (at 
least  so  Bcde  says),  and  afterwards  became  Bishop  of 
Lichfield,  and,  at  his  death,  his  soul  is  said  to  have  been 
accompanied  to  heaven  by  angels  and  sweet  music. 

A  good  modern  account  is  given  in  Hone's  cc  Every 
Day  Book,"  vol.  i.  pp.  323,  4,  5,  which,  as  it  was  taken 
from  actual  observation  about  fifty  years  since,  may  well 
be  transcribed.  Speaking  of  the  aforesaid  dust-heap  he 
says : — 

<c  Opposite  to  this  unsightly  site,  and  on  the  right 
hand  side  of  the  road,  is  an  anglewise  faded  inscription- — 


St. 
Chad's  Well. 

(C  It  stands,  or  rather  dejects,  over  an  elderly  pair  of 
wooden  gates,  one  whereof  opens  on  a  scene  which  the 
unaccustomed  eye  may  tcike  for  the  pleasure-ground  of 
Giant  Despair.  Trees  stand  as  if  made  not  to  vegetate, 
clipped  hedges  seem  unwilling  to  decline,  and  nameless 
weeds  straggle  weakly  upon  unlimited  borders.     If  you 


St.  Chad's   Well.  49 

look  upwards  you  perceive,  painted  on  an  octagon 
board>  '  Health  restored  and  preserved.'  Further  on, 
towards  the  left,  stands  a  low,  old-fashioned,  comfort- 
able-looking, large-windowed  dwelling,  and,  ten  to  one, 
but  there  also  stands  at  the  open  door,  an  ancient  ailing 
female,  in  a  black  bonnet,  a  clean,  coloured  cotton  gown, 
and  a  check  apron,  her  silver  hair  only  in  part  tucked 
beneath  the  narrow  border  of  a  frilled  cap,  with  a  sedate 
and  patient,  yet  somewhat  inquiring  look.  She  gra- 
tuitously tells  you  that  c  the  gardens '  of  c  St.  Chad's 
Well '  are  for  '  Circulation  '  by  paying  for  the  waters,  of 
which  you  may  drink  as  much,  or  as  little,  or  nothing, 
as  you  please,  at  one  guinea  per  year,  9s.  6d.  quarterly, 
4s.  6d.  monthly,  or  is.  6d.  weekly.  You  qualify  for  a 
single  visit  by  paying  sixpence,  and  a  large  glass  tumbler, 
full  of  warm  water,  is  handed  to  you.  As  a  stranger, 
you  are  told,  that  £  St.  Chad's  Well  was  famous  at  one 
time.' 

"Should  you  be  inquisitive,  the  dame  will  instruct  you, 
with  an  earnest  eye,  that  c  people  are  not  what  they 
were,'  4  things  are  not  as  they  used  to  be,'  and  she 
c  can't  tell  what'll  happen  next.'  Oracles  have  not 
ceased.  While  drinking  St.  Chad's  water,  you  observe 
an  immense  copper,  into  which  it  is  poured,  wherein  it  is 
heated  to  due  efficacy,  and  from  whence  it  is  drawn  by 
a  cock,  into  glasses.  You  also  remark,  hanging  on  the 
wall,  a  c  tribute  of  gratitude,'  versified,  and  inscribed  on 
vellum,  beneath  a  pane  of  glass  stained  by  the  hand  of 
time,  and  let  into  a  black  frame.  This  is  an  effusion 
for  value  received  from  St.  Chad's  invaluable  water. 
But,    above    all,  there  is  a    full-sized    portrait    in    oil, 

s 


50  St.   Chad's  Well. 

of  a  stout,  comely  personage,  with  a  ruddy  counte- 
nance, in  a  coat  or  cloak,  supposed  scarlet,  a  laced 
cravat  falling  down  the  breast,  and  a  small  red  nightcap 
carelessly  placed  on  the  head,  conveying  the  idea  that  it 
was  painted  for  the  likeness  of  some  opulent  butcher, 
who  flourished  in  the  reign  of  Queen  Anne.  Ask  the 
dame  about  it,  and  she  refers  you  to  c  Rhone.'  x  This 
is  a  tall  old  man,  who  would  be  taller  if  he  were  not 
bent  by  years.  c  I  am  ninety-four,'  he  will  tell  you, 
*  this  present  year  of  our  Lord,  one  thousand,  eight 
hundred,  and  twenty-five.'  All  that  he  has  to  commu- 
nicate concerning  the  portrait  is,  c  I  have  heard  say  it  is 
the  portrait  of  St.  Chad.'  Should  you  venture  to  differ, 
he  addsa  c  this  is  the  opinion  of  most  people  who  come 
here.'  You  may  gather  that  it  is  his  own  undoubted 
belief. 

"  On  pacing  the  garden  alleys,  and  peeping  at  the 
places  of  retirement,  you  imagine  the  whole  may  have 
been  improved  and  beautified,  for  the  last  time,  by  some 
countryman  of  William  III.,  who  came  over  and  died 
in  the  same  year  with  that  king,  and  whose  works  here, 
in  wood  and  box,  have  been  following  him  piecemeal 
ever  since. 

"  St.  Chad's  Well  is  scarcely  known  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood save  by  its  sign-board  of  invitation  and  for- 
bidding externals ;  ...  it  is  haunted,  not  frequented. 
A  few  years,  and  it  will  be  with  its  waters,  as  with  the 
water  of  St.  Pancras'  Well,  which  is  enclosed  in  the 
garden  of  a  private  house,  near  old  St.  Pancras  Church- 
yard." 

1  Rhone  was  an  old  waiter  at  the  Well.     See  p.  53. 


St.  Chad's  Well. 


51 


But,  although  the  prophecy  in  Cf  Hone  "  was  destined 
to  be  fulfilled,  yet  it  was  twelve  years  before  it  came 
about,  and  it  was  not  until  September  14,  1837,  that 
Messrs.  Warlters  and  Co.  sold,  at  Garraway's  Coffee 
House,  Change  Alley,  Cornhill,  the  "  valuable  Copy- 
hold Property,  situate  in  Gray's  Inn  Lane,  near  King's 
Cross,  Battle  Bridge,"  which  consisted  of  c<  The  well- 
known  and  valuable  Premises,  Dwelling-house,  Large 
Garden,  and  Offices,  with  the  very  celebrated  Spring  of 
Saline  Water  called  St.  Chad's  Well,  which,  in  proper 
hands,  would  produce  an  inexhaustible  Revenue,  as  its 


__<^§^gg^^ 


ST.    CHADS    WELL. 


qualities  are  allowed  by  the   first  Physicians  to  be  un- 
equalled." 

It  was  a  good  sized  piece  of  ground  ;  in  shape  of  a 
somewhat  irregular  triangle,  of  which  the  base  measured 
about  200  feet,  and  from  apex  to  base  95  feet.  It  was 
Copyhold.  The  vendor  was  not  to  be  asked  for  a  title 
prior  to  1793,  and  it  was  held  of  the  Manor  of  Cantlowes 
or  Cantlers,  subject  to  a  small  fine,  certain,  of  6s.  8d., 
on  death  or  alienation,  and  to  a  Quit  Rent  of  5d.  per 
annum.      We  should  say,  nowadays,  that  the  assessment 


52  St.   Chad's  Well-water. 

was  very  small,  as,  including  the  large  gardens,  both 
back  and  front,  the  whole  was  only  valued,  including 
the  Saline  Spring,  at  £81  10s.  per  annum,  of  which 
£21  10s.  was  let  off,  but  which  formed  but  a  small 
portion  of  the  property. 

What  would  not  the  waters  of  St.  Chad's  W'ell  cure? 
Really  I  think  the  proprietor  hardly  knew  himself,  for  a 
handbill  I  have  before  me  commences — "  The  celebrity 
of  these  waters  being  confined  chiefly  to  its  own 
immediate  vicinity  for  a  number  of  years ;  the  present 
proprietor  has  thought  proper  to  give  more  extensive 
publicity  to  the  existence  of  a  nostrum  provided  by 
Nature,  through  Divine  Providence,  approaching  nearest 
that  great  desideratum  of  scientific  men  and  mankind 
in  general,  throughout  all  ages  ;  namely,  an  Universal 
Medicine.  .  .  .  The  many  cures  yearly  performed  by 
these  waters  does  not  come  within  the  limits  of  a  hand- 
bill, but,  suffice  it  to  say,  that  here,  upon  trial,  the 
sufferer  finds  a  speedy  and  sure  relief  from  Indigestion 
and  its  train,  Habitual  Costiveness,  the  extensive 
range  of  Liver  Complaints,  Dropsy  in  its  early 
stages,  Glandular  Obstructions,  and  that  bane  of 
life,  Scrophula;  for  Eruptions  on  the  Face  or 
Skin  its  almost  immediate  efficacy  needs  but  a  trial." 
This  wonderful  water,  with  use  of  garden,  was  then,  say 
1835,  supposed  to  be  worth  to  the  sufferer^  1  per  annum 
or  threepence  a  visit,  or  you  might  have  it  supplied  at 
eightpence  per  gallon. 

And  yet  it  seems  only  to  have  been  a  mild  aperient, 
and  rather  dear  at  the  price.  In  the  Mirror  of  April  13, 
1833,  Mr.  Booth,  Professor  of  Chemistry,  professed  to 


St.  Chad's  Well-water.  53 

give  an  analysis  of  the  "  Mineral  Waters  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  London/'  and  he  thus  writes  of  St.  Chad's 
Well :  "  It  is  aperient,  and  is  yet  much  resorted  to  by 
the  poorer  classes  of  the  metropolis,  with  whom  it 
enjoys  considerable  reputation.  From  an  examination, 
I  find  it  to  be  a  strong  solution  of  sulphate  of  soda  and 
sulphate  of  magnesia" — but  he  does  not  favour  us  with 
a  quantitative  analysis. 

Neither  does  the  proprietor,  one  Wm.  Lucas,  who 
not  only  propounded  the  handbill  from  which  J  have 
quoted,  but  published  a  pamphlet  on  the  healing  virtues 
of  the  spring,  and  he  also  adds  to  Mr.  Booth's  quali- 
tative analysis,  "  a  small  quantity  of  Iron,  which  is  held 
in  Solution  by  Carbonic  Acid." 

"  The  Well  from  which  the  Waters  are  supplied,  is  ex- 
cluded from  the  external  air  ;  the  Water  when  freshly 
drawn  is  perfectly  clear  and  pellucid,  and  sparkles  when 
poured  into  a  glass;  to  the  taste  it  is  slightly  bitter,  not 
sufficiently  so  to  render  it  disagreeable  ;  indeed,  Persons 
often  think  it  so  palatable  as  to  take  it  at  the  table  for 
a  common  beverage." 

This,  however,  is  slightly  at  variance  with  the  follow- 
ing, u  As  a  Purgative,  more  so  than  could  be  inferred 
from  their  taste,  a  pint  is  the  ordinary  dose  for  an  Adult, 
which  operates  pleasantly,  powerfully ;  and  speedily  : " 
qualities  which  are  scarcely  desirable  for  a  Table  water. 

That,  at  one  time,  this  Well  was  in  fashion,  although 
in  1825  it  was  in  its  decadence,  I  may  quote  from  the 
pamphlet  (which,  however,  must  be  taken  by  the 
reader,  quantum  valeat)  : 

4C  Jonathan  Rhone,  who  was  Gardener  and  Waiter 


54 


St.  Chad's  Well-water. 


at  these  Wells  upwards  of  Sixty  Years,  says,  that  when, 
he  first  came  into  office  at  about  the  middle  of  the 
eighteenth  Century,  the  Waters  were  in  great  repute, 
and  frequently  were  visited  by  eight  or  nine  hundred 
Persons  in  a  morning :  the  charge  for  drinking  the 
Waters  was  Three  pence  each  Person,  and  they  were 
delivered  at  the  Pump  Room  for  exportation,  at  the 
rate  of  Twenty-four  pint  bottles,  packed  in  hamper, 
for  One  Pound  Cash." 


CHAPTER  V. 


AS  the  Fleet  was  "  the  River  of  Wells  "  it  may  be 
as  well  to  notice  the  Wells,  which,  although  not  ab- 
solutely contributing  towards  swelling  its  volume, 
are  yet  closely  adjacent — namely,  White  Conduit,  and 
Sadlers  Wells.  Both  of  these,  as  indeed  were  all  the 
other  Wells  about  London,  were  first  known  as  mineral 
springs,  a  fact  which  drew  the  middle  classes  to  seek 
relief  from  real,  or  fancied,  ailments,  by  drinking  the 
medicinal  waters,  as  at  Bath,  Epsom,  Cheltenham, 
Harrogate,  Brixton,  and  elsewhere.  Wherever  people 
congregate,  the  mere  drinking  of  salutary  water,  is  but 
tame  work,  and  the  animal  spirits  of  some  of  them 
must  find  an  outlet  in  amusements,  which  materially 
assist,  to  say  the  least,  in  the  agreeable  passing  of  time. 
But  the  mere  drinking  of  waters  must  have  been  irk- 
some— even  if  people  took  to  it  as  well  as  SJiadwell  in 
his  play  of  c<  Epsom  Wells  "  describes  : — ■ 


$6  Medicinal  Waters. 

"  Brisket.     1  vow  it  is  a  pleasurable  Morning :   the 


Waters  taste   so  finely  after  being  fuelled    last  Night. 
Neighbour  Fribbler  here's  a  Pint  to  you. 


Spas.  57 

" Fribbler.  I'll  pledge  you,  Mrs.  Brisket;  I  have 
drunk  eight  already. 

"  Mrs.  Brisket.  How  do  the  Waters  agree  with 
vour  Ladyship  ? 

"  Mrs.  Woodly.  Oh,  Sovereignly  :  how  many  Cups 
have  you  arrived  to  ? 

"  Mrs.  Brisket.      Truly  Six,  and  they  pass  so  kindly." 

By  degrees  these  medicinal  waters,  or  Spas,  as  thev 
were  termed  in  later  times,  fell  into  desuetude,  possibly 
because  medical  knowledge  was  advancing ;  and  the 
Wells,  with  their  gardens  attached,  became  places  of 
outdoor  recreation,  where  the  sober  citizen  could  smoke 
his  pipe,  and  have  his  beer,  or  cider,  whilst  his  wife,  and 
her  gossips,  indulged  in  tittle  tattle  over  their  Tea — ■ 
which,  although  much  dearer  than  at  present,  was  a  very 
popular  beverage,  and  so_>  from  health  resorts,  they 
imperceptibly  merged  into  the  modern  Tea  Garden — 
which,  in  its  turn,  has  become  nearly  extinct,  as  have 
the  Ranelagh  and  Vauxhall  of  a  former  age;  which, 
however,  we  have  seen,  in  our  time,  somewhat  resusci- 
tated in  the  outdoor  portion  of  the  several  Exhibitions 
which  have  taken  place,  in  the  few  past  years,  at  South 
Kensington. 

The  White  Conduit  had  a  history  of  its  own,  which 
we  can  trace  back,  at  all  events,  to  the  fifteenth  century, 
for  it  was  built  as  a  reservoir  to  supply  what  was, 
afterwards,  the  Charterhouse. 

This  we  can  see  by  a  royal  licence,  dated  December  2, 
9  Henry  VI.  an.  143 1,1  which  granted  to  John  Feryby, 

1  Cart.  Antiq.  in  Off".  Augm.  vol.  ii.  No.  4.3. 


58  The  White  Conduit. 

and  his  wife  Margery,  that  they  might  grant  and  assign 
to  the  Prior  and  Convent  of  the  House  of  the  Saluta- 
tion of  the  Blessed  Mary  of  the  Carthusian  Order,  by 
London,  a  certain  well  spring  (fonteiri)  and  53  perches 
of  land  in  length,  and  12  feet  in  breadth,  in  the  vill 
of  Iseldon  (Islington)  to  have  to  them  and  their  suc- 
cessors for  ever,  and  to  the  same  Prior  and  Convent, 
to  take  the  said  land,  and  construct  a  certain  subter- 
raneous aqueduct  from  the  aforesaid  well  spring,  through 
the  aforesaid  land,  and  through  the  King's  highway 
aforesaid,  and  elsewhere,  as  it  may  seem  best  &c,  non 
obstante  the  Act  against  mortmain  (Teste  Humfride 
Duce  Gloucestr   Custode  Anglic  apud  Westm.). 

As  we  know,  Henry  VIII.  put  an  end  to  the 
Monastic  Orders  in  England,  and,  at  the  dissolution 
of  the  Priory,  the  reversion  of  the  site,  and  house 
thereof,  was  granted,  on  April  14,  1545,1  to  Sir  Roger 
North,  in  fee,  together  with  <c  all  that  the  Head  and 
original  Well  Spring  of  one  Channel  or  Aqueduct 
situate  and  being  in  a  certain  field  in  the  parish  of 
Islington  " — and  it  also  gave,  all  the  channels,  aqueducts, 
and  watercourses  under  ground  cc  up  to  the  site  of  the 
said  House  of  the  Carthusians." 

But,  although  the  spring  might,  and  did,  supply  the 
Charter  House,  yet  it  is  possible  that  the  Conduit 
House,  from  which  it  got  the  name  of  White  Conduit, 
from  its  being  built  of  white  stone — was  built  by 
Thomas  Sutton,  who  founded  the  Hospital  of  the 
Charter  House, — in  161 1.      It  was  either  built  by  him, 

1  Pat.  36  Henry  VIII.  p.  13,  m.  31. 


The  White  Conduit. 


59 


or  repaired  in  1641,  for,  incorporated  in  the  building, 
was  a  stone  containing  his  arms — and  initials. 

The  other  initials  have  not  been  identified.  As  the 
"White  Conduit"  it  was  known  well  into  this  century, 
but  it  fell  somewhat  into  decay,  about  181 2 — was  never 
repaired,  and,  finally,  was  pulled  down  in  1 831 — to  make 
way  for  the  completion  of  some  new  buildings  in 
Barnsbury  Road,  as  a  continuation  of  Penton  Street: 
and  the  stone  was  broken  up,  and  used  in  making  the 
New  Road. 

So  much  for  the   Conduit  itself;    but    it,  although 


STONE   IN    THE   WHITE   CONDUIT. 

Gentleman's  Magazine,  vol.  lxxi.  p.  1161,  a.d.  iCoi. 


inert,  exercised  a  large  share  in  the  amusements  of 
Londoners  down  to  a  comparatively  recent  period.  It 
was  pleasantly  situated  in  the  fields,  and,  until  this 
century,  during  the  latter  half  of  which,  the  modern 
Babylon  has  become  one  huge  mass  of  bricks  and 
mortar,  it  served  as  a  pleasant  place  of  recreation  for 
the  Cits.  There  was  an  uninterrupted  prospect  of 
Hampstead  and  Highgate — which  bounded  the  northern 
view,  and  which  was  purely  pastoral,  with  the  exception 
of  sparsely-dotted  farmhouses.  There  is  a  tradition 
that,  on  the  site  of  the  comparatively  modern  White 
Conduit  House^  was  (in  the  reign  of  Charles  I.),  a  tavern 


60  White  Conduit  House. 

in  the  course  of  erection,  and  that,  being  finished,  the 
workmen  were  carousing  at  the  very  moment  of  the 
monarch's  decapitation. 

Doubtless,  in  these  suburban  fields,  there  was,  for  very 
many  years,  a  place  for  refreshment,  which  probably 
took  the  form,  in  the  Arcadian  age  of  the  seventeenth 
and  eighteenth  century,  of  new  milk,  curds  and  whey, 
and  syllabubs,  for  Islington  was  famous  for  its  dairy  pro- 
duce,1 as  we  know  by  the  account  of  the  entertainment 
given  to  Queen  Elizabeth  at  Kenilworth  Castle  in  1575 
by  the  Earl  of  Leicester,  when  the  Squier  Minstrel  of 
Middlesex  made  a  long  speech  in  praise  of  Islington, 
whose  motto  was  said  to  be,  "  Lactis  Caseus  infans." 

The  earliest  really  authentic  notice  of  the  White 
Conduit  House,  I  can  find,  is  in  the  Daily  Advertiser 
August  10,  1754.  "This  is  to  acquaint  the  public, 
that,  at  the  White  Conduit  House,  the  proprietor,  for 
the  better  accommodation  of  the  gentlemen  and  ladies, 
has  completed  a  long  walk,  with  a  handsome  circular 
Fish-pond,  a  number  of  shady,  pleasant  arbours  inclosed 
with  a  fence  7  feet  high  to  prevent  being  the  least 
incommoded  from  the  people  in  the  fields.  Hot  loaves,2 
and   butter  every  day,   milk  directly  from   the   Cows; 

1  In  an  early  sixteenth  century  book  (unique)  printed  by  Wynkyn 
dc  Worde,  called  "  Cocke  Lorelles  Boke  "  the  dairy  farming  at 
Islington  is  mentioned — - 

"  Also  mathewc  to  the  drawer  of  London, 
And  sybly  sole  mylke-wyfe  of  Islington." 

2  These  Rolls  were  as  famous  as  Chelsea  Buns.  "  White  Conduit 
loaves  "  being  a  familiar  street  cry. 


White  Conduit  House. 


ui 


coffee  and  tea,  and  all  manners  of  liquors  in  the  greatest 
perfection  :  also  a  handsome  Long  Room,  from  whence 
is  the  most  Copious  prospects  and  airy  situation  of  any 
now  in  vogue.  I  humbly  hope  the  continuance  of  my 
friends'  favours,  as  I  make  it  my  chief  study  to  have  the 
best  accommodations,  and  am,  Gentlemen  and  Ladies, 
your  obliged  humble  servant,  Robert  Bartholomew. 
Note.  My  Cows  eat  no  grains,  neither  any  adulteration 
in  the  Milk  or  Cream.  Bats  and  Balls  for  Cricket,  and 
a  convenient  field  to  play  in." 

This  gives  us  a  very  fair  insight  into  the  sober  relaxa- 
tions of  our  great-great-grandfathers :  and  that  the 
White  Conduit  House  was,  about  this  time,  a  resort 
for  harmless  recreation  ;  and,  certainly,  it  would  rejoice 
the  modern  temperance  enthusiasts  to  find  that  the 
principal  beverages  there  drank  were  "  non-intoxicants." 
Oliver  Goldsmith  used  frequently  to  go  there,  walking 
from  his  house  at  Islington;  and,  in  his  "  Citizen  of 
the  World,"  letter  122,  he  writes,  "After  having  sur- 
veyed the  Curiosities  of  this  fair  and  beautiful  town, 
I  proceeded  forward,  leaving  a  fair  stone  building  on 
my  right ;  here  the  inhabitants  of  London  often  assemble 
to  celebrate  a  feast  of  hot  rolls  and  butter.  Seeing 
such  numbers,  each  with  their  little  tables  before  them, 
employed  on  this  occasion,  must  no  doubt  be  a  very 
amusing  sight  to  the  looker-on,  but  still  more  so  to 
those  who  perform  in  the  Solemnity." 

And  the  same  story  of  simplicity  of  amusement, 
and  refreshment,  is  amusingly  told  in  the  Gentleman' s 
Magazine  for  May,  1760,  vol.  xxx.  p.  242,  in  a  short 
poem  by  William  Wory,  the  author  of  the  "  Shrubs  of 


62  White  Conduit  House. 

Parnassus,  consisting  of  a  variety  of  poetical  essays,  moral 
and  comic,  by  I.  Copy  well,  of  Lincoln's  Inn,  Esq.  1760." 

"  And  to  White  Conduit  House 

We  will  go,  will  go,  will  go." 

Grub  Street  Register. 

"Wish'd  Sunday's  come — mirth  brightens  ev'ry  face, 
And  paints  the  rose  upon  the  housemaid's  cheek 
Harriot,  or  Mol  more  ruddy.     Now  the  heart 
Of  prentice  resident  in  ample  street, 
Or  alley,  Kennel-wash'd  Cheapside,  Corn  hi  I  I 
Or  Cranborne,  thee,  for  calcuments  renown'd, 
With  joy  distends.     His  meal  meridian  o'er, 
With  switch  in  hand,  he  to  White  Conduit  house 
Hies  merry  hearted.     Human  beings  here 
In  couples  multitudinous  assemble, 
Forming  the  drollest  groupe,  that  ever  trod 
Fair  Islingtonian  plains.      Male  after  male, 
Dog  after  dog,  succeeding — husbands — wives — 
Fathers  and  mothers — brothers — sisters — friends — 
And  pretty  little  boys  and  girls.     Around, 
Across,  along,  the  garden's  shrubby  maze, 
They  walk,  they  sit,  they  stand.     What  crowds  press  on, 
Eager  to  mount  the  stairs,  eager  to  catch 
First  vacant  bench  or  chair  in  long-room  plac'd. 
Here  prig  with  prig  holds  conference  polite, 
And  indiscriminate,  the  gaudy  beau, 
And  sloven  mix.     Here  he,  who  all  the  week 
Took  bearded  mortals  by  the  nose,  or  sat 
Weaving  dead  hairs,  and  whistling  wretched  strain, 
And  eke  the  sturdy  youth,  whose  trade  it  is 
Stout  oxen  to  contend,  with  gold  bound  hat, 
And  silken  stocking  strut.      The  red-arm'd  belle 
Here  shews  her  tasty  gown,  proud  to  be  thought 
The  butterfly  of  fashion  :   and,  forsooth, 
Her  haughty  mistress  deigns  for  once  to  tread 
The  same  unhallow'd  floor.     'Tis  hurry  all, 


White  Conduit.  63 

And  ratling  cups  and  saucers.     Waiter  here, 
And  waiter  there,  and  waiter  here  and  there, 
At  once  is  call'd — Joe — Joe — Joe — Joe — Joe- 
Joe  on  the  right — and  Joe  upon  the  left, 
For  ev'ry  vocal  pipe  re-ecchoes  Joe. 
Alas,  poor  Joe  /     Like  Francis  in  the  play 
He  stands  confounded,  anxious  how  to  please 
The  many-headed  throng.     But  shou'd  I  paint 
The  language,  humours,  customs  of  the  place, 
Together  with  all  curtsy's  lowly  bows 
And  compliments  extern,  'twould  swell  my  page 
Beyond  it's  limits  due.     Suffice  it  then, 
For  my  prophetic  muse  to  say,  '  So  long 
As  fashion  rides  upon  the  Wing  of  time, 
While  tea  and  cream,  and  buttered  rolls  can  please, 
While  rival  beaux,  and  jealous  belles  exist, 
So  long  White  Conduit  house,  shall  be  thy  fame. 

W.  W." 

Later  on  in  the  century,  it  was  still  a  reputable  place 
of  resort.  In  1774,  there  was  a  painting  at  one  end 
of  the  garden,  the  perspective  of  which  served,  arti- 
ficially, to  augment  its  size ;  the  round  fish-pond  in  the 
centre  of  the  garden,  still  existed,  and  the  refreshment- 
rooms,  or  boxes,  were  hung  with  Flemish  and  other 
pictures. 

Hone  ("Every  Day  Book,"  vol.  ii.  p.  1201,  &c.) 
says,  "About  18 10,  the  late  celebrated  Wm.  Hunting- 
don S.S.1  of  Providence  Chapel,  who  lives  in  a  handsome 
house  within  sight,  was  at  the  expense  of  clearing  the 
spring  for  the  use  of  the  inhabitants ;  but,  because  his 
pulpit  opinions  were  obnoxious,  some  of  the  neighbour- 
ing vulgar  threw  loads  of  soil  upon  it  in  the  night, 
which  rendered   the  water  impure,  and  obstructed  its 

1  This  revivalist  used  these  initials  as  meaning  "  Sinner  Saved." 


64 


White  Conduit. 


channel,  and,  finally,  ceasing  to  flow,  the   public  was 
deprived  of  the  kindness  he  proposed.     The  building 


itself,  was  in  a  very  perfect  state  at  that  time,  and  ought 
to  have  been  boarded  up  after  the  field  it  stood  in  was 


White  Conduit  House.  65 

thrown  open.  As  the  new  buildings  proceeded,  it  was 
injured,  and  defaced,  by  idle  labourers  and  boys,  from 
mere  wantonness,  and  reduced  to  a  mere  ruin.  There 
was  a  kind  of  upper  floor  or  hayloft  in  it,  which  was 
frequently  a  shelter  to  the  houseless  wanderer.  A  few 
years  ago  some  poor  creatures  made  it  a  comfortable 
hostel  for  the  night  with  a  little  hay.  Early  in  the 
morning  a  passing  workman  perceived  smoke  issuing 
from  the  crevices,  and  as  he  approached,  heard  loud 
cries  from  within.  Some  mischievous  miscreants  had 
set  fire  to  the  fodder  beneath  the  sleepers,  and,  after- 
wards, fastened  the  door  on  the  outside :  the  inmates 
were  scorched  by  the  fire,  and  probably  they  would  all 
have  been  suffocated  in  a  few  minutes,  if  the  place  had 
not  been  broken  open. 

"The  *  White  Conduit'  at  this"  time  (1826)  merely 
stands  to  those  who  had  the  power,  and  neglected  to 
preserve  it. 

<c  To  the  buildings  grown  up  around,  it  might  have 
been  rendered  a  neat  ornament,  by  planting  a  few  trees, 
and  enclosing  the  whole  with  an  iron  railing,  and  have 
stood  as  a  monument  of  departed  worth. 

cc  c  White  Conduit  House '  has  ceased  to  be  a  recrea- 
tion in  the  good  sense  of  the  word.  Its  present 
denomination  is  the  c  Minor  Vauxhall,'  and  its  chief 
attraction  during  the  passing  summer  has  been  Mrs. 
Bland.1      She  has  still   powers,  and,  if  their   exercise 

1  A  somewhat  famous  singer  in  the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth 
and  first  quarter  of  the  nineteenth  centuries.  She  sang  and  acted 
at  Drury  Lane  and  the  Haymarket — and  also  sang  at  Vauxhall.  She 
became  poor,  and  on  Jury  5,  1824,  she  had  a  benefit  at  Drury  Lane, 

6 


66 


White  Conduit  House. 


here,  has  been  a  stay  and  support  to  this  sweet  melodist, 
so  far  .  the  establishment  may  be  deemed  respectable. 
It  is  a  ground  for  balloon  flying  and  skittle  playing, 
and  just  maintains  itself  above  the  very  lowest,  so  as 
to  be  one  of  the  most  doubtful  places  of  public  resort. 


WHITE  CONDUIT  GARDENS    (INTERIOR). 

Recollections  of  it  some  years  ago  are  more  in  its 
favour.     Its  tea  gardens  then,  in  summer  afternoons, 

which,  with  a  public  subscription,  produced  about  .£800.  Lord 
Egrcmont  also  allowed  her  £80  a  year.  She  was  somewhat  related 
to  Royalty:  her  husband,  Bland,  an  actor  at  Drury  Lane,  being  the 
brother  of  Mrs.  Jordan,  who  was  the  wife  of  William  the  Fourth. 


68  White   Conduit  Gardens. 

were  well  accustomed  by  tradesmen  and  their  families  ; 
they  are  now  comparatively  deserted,  and,  instead,  there 
is,  at  night,  a  starveling  show  of  odd  company  and 
coloured  lamps,  a  mock  orchestra,  with  mock  singing, 
dancing  in  a  room  which  decent  persons  would  prefer 
to  withdraw  their  young  folks  from,  if  they  entered, 
and  fireworks  c  as  usual/  which,  to  say  the  truth,  are 
usually,  very  good.'' 

As  time  went  on,  the  place  did  not  improve,  as  we 
may  see  by  the  New  Monthly  Magazine  for  1833,  m  an 
article — part  of  "  Four  Views  of  London."  Speaking 
of  the  White  Conduit — "  Here  too  is  that  Paradise  of 
apprentice  boys,  White  Cundick  Couse,  as  it  is  cacopho- 
niously  pronounced  by  its  visitors,  which  has  done  much 
to  expel  the  decencies  of  the  district.  Thirty  years  ago 
this  place  was  better  frequented — that  is,  there  was  a 
larger  number  of  respectable  adults  —  fathers  and 
mothers,  with  their  children,  and  a  smaller  moiety  of 
shop  lads,  and  such  like  Sunday  bucks,  who  were  awed 
into  decency  by  their  elders.  The  manners,  perhaps, 
are  much  upon  a  par  with  what  they  were.  The  ball- 
room gentlemen  then  went  through  country  dances  with 
their  hats  on,  and  their  coats  off: — hats  are  now  taken 
off,  but  coats  are  still  unfashionable  on  these  gala  nights. 
The  belles  of  that  day  wore  long  trains  to  their  gowns : 
it  was  a  favourite  mode  of  introduction  to  a  lady  there, 
to  tread  on  it,  and  then,  apologizing  handsomely, 
acquaintance  was  begun,  and  soon  ripened  into  an 
invitation  to  tea,  and  the  hot  loaves  for  which  these 
gardens  were  once  celebrated.  Being  now  a  popular 
haunt,  those  who  hang  on  the  rear  of  the  march  of 


White  Conduit  Gardens.  69 

human  nature,  the  suttlers,  camp  followers,  and 
plunderers,  know  that  where  large  numbers  of  men  and 
boys  are  in  pursuit  of  pleasure,  there  is  a  sprinkling  of 
the  number  to  whom  vice  and  debauchery  are  ever 
welcome :  they  have,  therefore,  supplied  what  these 
wanted ;  and  Pentonville  may  now  hold  up  its  head, 
and  boast  of  its  depravities  before  any  part  of 
London."  1 

It  got  more  and.  more  disreputable,  until  it  was  pulled 
down  in  1849,  and  the  present  White  Conduit  Tavern 
was  built  upon  a  portion  of  its  site. 

1  A  frequent  visitor  at  these  gardens  was  the  late  George  Cruik- 
shank,  and  many  subjects  were  transferred  to  his  sketch  book.  He 
was  so  well  known,  as  to  become  a  sort  of  terror  to  the  habitues  of 
the  place,  and  children  were  threatened,  when  fractious,  "  that  if 
they  made  such  ugly  faces,  Mr.  Cruikshank  would  put  them  in 
his  book." 


CHAPTER  VI. 

SADLER'S  WELLS  does  not  really  feed  the  Fleet 
River,  but  I  notice  the  spring,  for  the  same  reason 
that  I  noticed  the  White  Conduit. 
A  very  fair  account  of  its  early  history  is  given  in  a 
little  pamphlet  entitled  "A True  and  Exact  Account  of 
Sadlers  Well :  or  the  New  Mineral  Waters.  Lately 
found  out  at  Islington :  Treating  of  its  nature  and 
Virtues.  Together  with  an  Enumeration  of  the  Chiefest 
Diseases  which  it  is  good  for,  and  against  which  it  may 
be  used,  and  the  Manner  and  Order  of  Taking  of  it. 
Published  for  publick  good  by  T.  G.  (Thomas  Guidot) 
Doctor  of  Physick.  Printed  for  'Thomas  Malthus  at 
the  Sun  in  the  Poultry.     1684," 

It  begins  thus: — "The  New  Well  at  Islington  is  a 
certain  Spring  in  the  middle  of  a  Garden,  belonging  to 
the  Musick  House  built  by  Mr.  Sadler,  on  the  North 
side  of  the  Great  Cistern  that  receives  the  New  River 
Water  near  Islington,  the  Water  whereof  was,  before  the 
Reformation,  very  much  famed  for  several  extraordinary 
Cures  performed  thereby,  and  was,  thereupon,  accounted 
sacred,  and  called  Holy   Well.     The  Priests  belonging 


72  Sadler's  Discovery. 

to  the  Priory  of  Clarken-well  using  to  attend  there, 
made  the  People  believe  that  the  vertues  of  the  Waters 
proceeded  from  the  efficacy  of  their  Prayers.  But  upon 
the  Reformation  the  Well  was  stopt  up,  upon  a  suppo- 
sition that  the  frequenting  it  was  altogether  superstitious, 
and  so,  by  degrees,  it  grew  out  of  remembrance,  and 
was  wholly  lost,  until  found  out,  and  the  Fame  of  it 
revived  again  by  the  following  accident. 

"  Mr.  Sadler  being  made  Surveyor  of  the  High  Ways, 
and  having  good  Gravel  in  his  own  Gardens,  employed 
two  Men  to  Dig  there,  and  when  they  had  Dug  pretty 
deep,  one  of  them  found  his  Pickax  strike  upon  some 
thing  that  was  very  hard  ;  whereupon  he  endeavoured 
to  break  it,  but  could,  not :  whereupon  thinking  with 
himself  that  it  might,  peradventure,  be  some  Treasure 
hid  there,  he  uncovered  it  very  carefully,  and  found  it 
to  be  a  Broad,  Flat  Stone :  which,  having  loosened,  and 
lifted  up,  he  saw  it  was  supported  by  four  Oaken  Posts, 
and  had  under  it  a  large  Well  of  Stone  Arched  over, 
and  curiously  carved ;  and,  having  viewed  it,  he  called 
his  fellow  Labourer  to  see  it  likewise,  and  asked  him 
whether  they  should  fetch  Mr.  Sadler,  and  shew  it  to 
him  ?  Who,  having  no  kindness  for  Sadler,  said  no  ; 
he  should  not  know  of  it,  but  as  they  had  found  it,  so 
they  would  stop  it  up  again,  and  take  no  notice  of  it ; 
which  he  that  found  it  consented  to  at  first,  but  after  a 
little  time  he  found  himself  (whether  out  of  Curiosity, 
or  some  other  reason,  I  shall  not  determine)  strongly 
inclined  to  tell  Sadler  of  the  Well ;  which  he  did,  one 
Sabbath  Day  in  the  Evening. 

iK  Sadler,  upon  this,  went  down  to  see  the  Well,  and 


Miles's  Musick  House.  73 

observing  the  Curiosity  of  the  Stone  Work,  that  was 
about  it,  and  fancying  within  himself  that  it  was  a 
Medicinal  Water,  formerly  had  in  great  esteem,  but  by 
some  accident  or  other  lost,  he  took  some  of  it  in  a 
Bottle,  and  carryed  it  to  an  Eminent  Physician,  telling 
him  how  the  Well  was  found  out,  and  desiring  his 
Judgment  of  the  Water ;  who  having  tasted  and  tried 
it,  told  him  it  was  very  strong  of  a  Mineral  taste,  and 
advised  him  to  Brew  some  Beer  with  it,  and  carry  it  to 
some  Persons,  to  whom  he  would  recommend  him ; 
which  he  did  accordingly.  And  some  of  those  who 
used  to  have  it  of  him  in  Bottles,  found  so  much  good 
by  it,  that  they  desired  him  to  bring  it  in  Roundlets." 

Sadler's  success,  for  such  it  was,  provoked  the  envy 
of  others,  and  one  or  two  satires  upon  the  Wells  were 
produced. 

Soon  after  he  opened  the  Wells,  Evelyn  visited  them, 
as  we  read  in  his  invaluable  diary.  "June  11,  1686. 
I  went  to  see  Middleton's  receptacle  of  water  l  and  the 
New  Spa  Wells,  near  Islington."  The  Spring  was  still 
known  as  Sadler's  up  to  1697  as  we  find  in  advertise- 
ments in  the  Post  Boy  and  Flying  Post  of  June,  in 
that  year.  But  the  "  Musick  House "  seems  to  have 
passed  into  other  hands,  for  in  1699  it  was  called 
"  Miles's  Musick  House."  They  seem  to  have  had 
peculiar  entertainments  here,  judging  by  an  account  in 
Dawk's  Protestant  Mercury  of  May  24,  1699.  "On 
Tuesday  last  a  fellow  at  Sadler's  Wells,  near  Islington, 
after  he  had  dined  heartily  on  a  buttock  of  beef,  for  the 

1  The  New  River  Head. 


74  A  Man  eats  a  Live   Cock,  &c. 

lucre  of  five  guineas,  eat  a  live  cock,  feathers,  guts,  and 
all,  with  only  a  plate  of  oil  and  vinegar  for  sawce,  and 
half  a  pint  of  brandy  to  wash  it  down,  and  afterwards 
proffered  to  lay  five  guineas  more,  that  he  could  do  the 
same  again  in  two  hours'  time." 

That  this  was  a  fact  is  amply  borne  out  by  the  testi- 
mony of  Ned  Ward,  who  managed  to  see  most  of  what 
was  going  on  in  town,  and  he  thus  describes  the  sight 
in  his  rough,  but  vigorous  language. 

"  With  much  difficulty  we  crowded  upstairs,  where 
we  soon  got  intelligence  of  the  beastly  scene  in  agitation. 
At  last  a  table  was  spread  with  a  dirty  cloth  in  the 
middle  of  the  room,  furnished  with  bread,  pepper,  oil, 
and  vinegar;  but  neither  knife,  plate,  fork,  or  napkin  ; 
and  when  the  beholders  had  conveniently  mounted 
themselves  upon  one  another's  shoulders  to  take  a  fair 
view  of  his  Beastlyness's  banquet,  in  comes  the  lord  of 
the  feast,  disguised  in  an  Antick's  Cap,  like  a  country 
hangman,  attended  by  a  train  of  Newmarket  executioners. 
When  a  chair  was  set,  and  he  had  placed  himself  in  sight 
of  the  whole  assembly,  a  live  Cock  was  given  into  the 
ravenous  paws  of  this  ingurgitating  monster." 

In  the  same  year,  in  his  c<  Walk  to  Islington,"  Ward 
gives  a  description  of  the  people  who  frequented  this 
"  Musick  House." 

" mixed  with  a  vermin  trained  up  for  the  gallows, 

As  Bullocks x  and  files,2  housebreakers  and  padders.3 
With  prize  fighters,  sweetners,4  and  such  sort  of  traders, 
Informers,  thief-takers,  deer-stealers,  and  bullies." 


*  A  hector,  or  bully.  2  A  pickpocket. 

3  A  tramp.  4  A  Sharper. 


Forcer,  the  Proprietor.  75 

It  seems  to  have  been  kept  by  Francis  Forcer,  a 
musician,  about  1725,  and  the  scene  at  the  Wells  is 
graphically  described  in  "  The  New  River,  a  Poem,  by 
William  Garbott." 


"Through  Islington  then  glides  my  best  loved  theme 
And  Miles's  garden  washes  with  his  stream  : 
Now  F — r's  Garden  is  its  proper  name, 
Though  Miles  the  man  was,  who  first  got  it  fame  ; 
And  tho'  it's  own'd,  Miles  first  did  make  it  known, 
F — r  improves  the  same  we  all  must  own. 
There  you  may  sit  under  the  shady  trees, 
And  drink  and  smoak,  fann'd  by  a  gentle  breeze  ; 
Behold  the  fish,  how  wantonly  they  play, 
And  catch  them  also,  if  you  please,  you  may, 
Two  Noble  Swans  swim  by  this  garden  side, 
Of  water-fowl  the  glory  and  tne  pride ; 
Which  to  the  Garden  no  small  beauty  are  ; 
Were  they  but  black  they  would  be  much  more  rare  : 
With  ducks  so  tame  that  from  your  hand  they'll  feed, 
And,  I  believe,  for  that,  they  sometimes  bleed. 
A  noble  Walk  likewise  adorns  the  place, 
To  which  the  river  adds  a  greater  grace  : 
There  you  may  sit  or  walk,  do  which  you  please, 
Which  best  you  like,  and  suits  most  with  your  ease. 
Now  to  the  Show-room  let's  awhile  repair, 
To  see  the  active  feats  performed  there. 
How  the  bold  Dutchman,  on  the  rope  doth  bound, 
With  greater  air  than  others  on  the  ground  : 
What  capers  does  he  cut  !  how  backward  leaps  ! 
With  Andrew  Merry  eyeing  all  his  steps  : 
Hij  comick  humours  with  delight  you  see, 
Pleasing  unto  the  best  of  company,"  &c. 

But  a  very  vivid   description  of  Sadler's  Wells    is 
given  in  "  Mackliniana,  or  Anecdotes  of  the  late  Mr. 


j6  Macklin   on  Sadler's  Wells. 

Charles  Macklin,  Comedian  "  in  the  European  Magazine 
for  1801  (vol.  xl.  p.  16):  — 

"  Being  met  one  night  at  Sadler's  Wells  by  a  friend, 
who  afterwards  saw  him  home,  he  went  into  a  history 
of  that  place,  with  an  accuracy  which,  though  nature 
generally  denies  to  the  recollection  of  old  age  in  recent 
events,  seems  to  atone  for  it  in  the  remembrance  of 
more  remote  periods. 

"  Sir,  I  remember  the  time  when  the  price  of  admis- 
sion here  was  but  threepence^  except  a  few  places  scuttled 
off  at  the  sides  of  the  stage  at  sixpence,  and  which  was 
usually  reserved  for  people  of  fashion,  who  occasionally 
came  to  see  the  fun.  Here  we  smoked,  and  drank 
porter  and  rum  and  water,  as  much  as  we  could  pay 
for,  and  every  man  had  his  doxy  that  liked  it,  and  so 
forth ;  and  though  we  had  a  mixture  of  very  odd  com- 
pany (for  I  believe  it  was  a  good  deal  the  baiting  place 
of  thieves  and  highwaymen)  there  was  little  or  no 
rioting.  There  was  a  'public  then,  Sir,  that  kept  one 
another  in  awe. 

"  £K  Were  the  entertainments  anything  like  the 
present  P  A.  No,  no ;  nothing  in  the  shape  of 
them ;  some  hornpipes  and  ballad  singing,  with  a  kind 
of  pantomimic  ballet,  and  some  lofty  tumbling — and  all 
this  was  done  by  daylight,  and  there  were  four  or  five 
exhibitions  every  day. 

"  £K  How  long  did  these  continue  at  a  time  ? 
A.  Why,  Sir,  it  depended  upon  circumstances.  The 
proprietors  had  always  a  fellow  on  the  outside  of  the 
booth,  to  calculate  how  many  people  were  collected  for 


Actors  at  Sadler's  Wells.  77 

a  second  exhibition,  and  when  he  thought  there  were 
enough,  he  came  to  the  back  of  the  upper  seats,  and 
cried  out,  c  Is  Hiram  Fisteman  here  ? '  This  was  the 
cant  word  agreed  upon  between  the  parties,  to  know  the 
state  of  the  people  without — upon  which  they  concluded 
the  entertaiment  with  a  song,  dismissed  that  audience, 
and  prepared  for  a  second  representation. 

cc  gK  Was  this  in  Rozamon's  time  ?  A.  No,  no, 
Sir  ;  long  before — not  but  old  Rozamon  improved  it  a 
good  deal,  and,  I  believe,  raised  the  price  generally  to 
sixpence,  and  in  this  way  got  a  great  deal  of  money." 

Space  prevents  one  going  into  the  merits  of  the 
Theatre  here,  but  it  may  not  be  out  of  place  if  I 
mention  some  of  the  singers,  and  actors,  who  have 
appeared  on  those  boards — Joey  Grimaldi,  Braham, 
Miss  Shields  (afterwards  Mrs.  Leffler),  Edmund  Kean, 
the  great  traveller  Belzoni,  Miss  Tree,  Phelps,  of 
Shakespearian  fame,  Marston,  and  others,  testify  to  the 
talent  which  has  had  its  home  in  this  theatre.  One  pecu- 
liarity about  Sadler's  Wells  Theatre  was  the  introduction 
of  real  water  as  a  scenic  effect.  It  seems  to  have  been  first 
used  on  Easter  Monday,  April  2,  1804,  m  an  enter- 
tainment called  Naumachia.  A  very  large  tank  was 
made  under  the  stage,  and  filled  with  water  from  the 
New  River ;  and  in  this  tank  mimic  men  o'  war  bom- 
barded Gibraltar,  but  were  repulsed,  with  loss,  by  the 
heroic  garrison.  Afterwards,  it  was  frequently  used  for 
Spectacles,  in  which  water  was  used  as  an  adjunct. 

After  this  digression  let  us  follow  the  course  of  the 
River    Fleet.     Leaving  St.    Chad's   Well,    and    before 


78 


The   Pindar  of  Wakefield. 


coming  to  Bagnigge  Wells,  there  stood  in  Gray's  Inn 
Road  an  old  public-house  called  the  Pindar  of  Wake- 
field, the  pounder,  or  keeper  of  the  pound  at  that  town, 
the  famous  George  a  Green,  who  gave  Robin  Hood  a 
notable  thrashing,  extorting  from  that  bold  outlaw  this 
confession — 

"  For  this  was  one  of  the  best  pinders 
That  ever  I  tryed  with  sword." 

This  old  house  was  destroyed  by  a  hurricane  in  Novem- 
ber, 1723,  when  the  two  daughters  of  the  landlord  were 
killed  by  the  falling  walls.  It  was,  however,  at  once 
rebuilt,  and  a  public-house,  bearing  the  same  sign,  exists 
at  328,  Gray's  Inn  Road — most  probably  occupying  the 
original  site. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

BETWEEN  this  house,  and  Bagnigge  Wells,  was 
Bagnigge  Wash,  or  Marsh,  and  Black  Mary's 
Wells,  or  Hole.  The  etymology  of  this  place 
is  contested.  In  the  Gentleman  s  Magazine  for  1813, 
part  ii.  p.  557,  in  an  "Account  of  various  Mineral 
Wells  near  London,"  is  the  following :  "  Lastly,  in  the 
same  neighbourhood,  may  be  mentioned  the  spring  or 
conduit  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  road  leading  from 
Clerken  Well  to  Bagnigge  Wells,  and  which  has  given 
name  to  a  very  few  small  houses  as  Black  Mary's  Hole. 
The  land  here  was,  formerly,  called  Bagnigg  Marsh, 
from  the  river  Bagnigg,1  which  passes  through  it. 
But,  in  after-time,  the  citizens  resorting  to  drink  the 
waters  of  the  conduit,  which  then  was  leased  to  one 
Mary,  who  kept  a  black  Cow,  whose  milk  the  gentle- 
men and  ladies  drank  with  the  waters  of  the  Conduit, 
from  whence,  the  wits  of  that  age  used  to  say,  *  Come, 

1  Otherwise  the  Fleet. 

7 


82  "Black  Mary's  Hole." 

let  us  go  to  Mary's  black  hole.'  However,  Mary  dying, 
and  the  place  degenerating  into  licentiousness,  about 
1687,  Walter  Baynes  Esqre,  of  the  Inner  Temple, 
enclosed  the  Conduit  in  the  manner  it  now  is,  which 
looks  like  a  great  oven.  He  is  supposed  to  have  left 
a  fund  for  keeping  the  same  in  perpetual  repair.  The 
stone  with  the  inscription  was  carried  away  during  the 
night  about  ten  years  ago.  The  water  (which  formerly 
fed  two  ponds  on  the  other  side  of  the  road)  falls  into 
the  old  Bagnigge  river." 

This  etymon,  however,  is  contested  in  a  pamphlet 
called  An  experimental  enquiry  concerning  the  Contents, 
Qualities,  Medicinal  Virtues  of  the  two  Mineral  Waters 
of  Bagnigge  Wells,  &c,  by  John  Bevis,  M.D.  This 
pamphlet  was  originally  published  in  1767,  but  I  quote 
from  the  third  edition  of  18 19.  "  At  what  time  these 
waters  were  first  known  cannot  be  made  out  with  any 
degree  of  evidence.  A  tradition  goes  that  the  place  of 
old  was  called  Blessed  Mary's  Well ;  but  that  the  name 
of  the  Holy  Virgin  having,  in  some  measure,  fallen  into 
disrepute  after  the  Reformation,  the  title  was  altered  to 
Black  Mary's  Well,  as  it  now  stands  upon  Mr.  Rocque's 
map,  and  then  to  Black  Mary's  Hole ;  though  there  is  a 
very  different  account  of  these  latter  appellations ;  for 
there  are  those  who  insist  they  were  taken  from  one 
Mary  Woolaston,  whose  occupation  was  attending  at  a 
well,  now  covered  in,  on  an  opposite  eminence,  by  the 
footway  from  Bagnigge  to  Islington  to  supply  the 
soldiery,  encamped  in  the  adjacent  fields,  with  water. 
But  waving  such  uncertainties,  it  may  be  relied  on  for 
truth,  that  a  late  proprietor,  upon   taking  possession  of 


Its  Disappearance.  83 

the  estate,  found  two  wells  thereon,  both  steaned  in  a 
workmanlike  manner;  but  when,  or  for  what  purpose, 
they  were  sunk,  he  is  entirely  ignorant." 

But  Black  Mary's  Hole,  during  the  first  half  of  the 
last  century,  had  a  very  queer  reputation.  There  was  a 
little  public-house  with  the  sign  of  "  The  Fox  at  Bay," 
which  probably  had  something  to  do  with  the  numerous 
highway  robberies  that  occurred  thereabouts. 

In  Cromwell's  "  History  of  Clerkenwell,"  pp.  318.. 
319,  we  hear  of  the  last  of  Black  Mary's  Hole.  He 
says,  'c  Beneath  the  front  garden  of  a  house  in  Spring 
Place,  and  extending  under  the  foot-pavement  almost 
to  the  turnpike  gate  called  the  Pantheon  Gate,  lies  the 
capacious  receptacle  of  a  Mineral  Spring,  which  in 
former  times  was  in  considerable  repute,  both  as  a 
chalybeate,  and  for  its  supposed  efficacy  in  the  cure  of 
sore  eyes.  .  .  .  About  ten  years  back,  when  Spring 
Place  was  erected,  the  builder  removed  every  external 
appearance  of  Walter  Baynes's  labours,  and  converted 
the  receptacle  beneath  into  a  cesspool  for  the  drainage 
of  his  houses.  The  spring  thus  degraded,  and  its 
situation  concealed,  it  is  probable  that  the  lapse  of  a  few 
more  years  would  have  effaced  the  memory  of  it  for 
ever,  had  not  an  accident  re-discovered  it  in  the  summer 
of  1826.  Its  covering,  which  was  only  of  boards, 
having  rotted,  suddenly  gave  way,  and  left  a  large  chasm 
in  the  footpath.  After  some  efforts,  not  perfectly  suc- 
cessful, to  turn  off  the  drainage,  it  was  then  arched  with 
brickwork,  and  a  leaden  pump  placed  over  it,  in  the 
garden  where  it  chiefly  lies.  But  the  pump  being  stolen 
during  the  following  winter,  the  spring  has  again  failen 


84  Bagnigge  Wells. 

into  neglect,  and  possibly  this  page  alone  will  prevent  its 
being  totally  forgotten." 

Still  following  the  Fleet  to  its  outfall,  we  next  come 
to  Bagnigge  Well,  a  chalybeate  spring,  first  used  medi- 
cinally, and  then,  like  all  these  Spas,  merely  as  a 
promenade,  and  place  of  out-of-door  recreation. 

Originally,  this  spring  probably  belonged  to  the 
Nunnery  at  Clerkenwell,  and  may  possibly  be  the 
"  Rode  Well  "  mentioned  in  the  Register  of  Clerken- 
well. But  we  are  indebted  to  Dr.  Bevis,  from  whose 
pamphlet  I  have  already  quoted,  for  a  history  of  its 
modern  rise  and  development  (p.  38). 

cc  In  the  year  1757,  the  spot  of  ground  in  which  this 
well  is  sunk  was  let  out  to  a  gentleman  curious  in 
gardening,  who  observed  that  the  oftener  he  watered  his 
flowers  from  it  the  worse  they  throve.  I  happened, 
toward  the  end  of  that  summer,  to  be  in  company  with 
a  friend  who  made  a  transient  visit  to  Mr.  Hughes, 
and  was  asked  to  taste  the  water ;  and,  being  surprised 
to  find  its  flavour  so  near  that  of  the  best  German 
chalybeates,  did  not  hesitate  to  declare  my  opinion,  that 
it  might  be  made  of  great  benefit  both  to  the  public  and 
himself.  At  my  request,  he  sent  me  some  of  the  water, 
in  a  large  stone  bottle,  well  corked,  the  next  day ;  a 
gallon  whereof  I  immediately  set  over  a  fire,  and  by  a 
hasty  evaporation  found  it  very  rich  in  mineral  contents, 
though  much  less  so  than  I  afterwards  experienced  it  to 
be  when  more  leisurely  exhaled  by  a  gentle  heat. 
Whilst  this  operation  was  carrying  on,  I  made  some 
experiments  on  the  remainder  of  the  water,  particularly 
with  powdered  galls^  which  I  found  to  give,  in  less  than 


Nell  Gwyn's  Houses.  85 

a  minute,  a  very  rich  and  deep  purple  tincture  to  it,  that 
lasted  many  days  without  any  great  alteration.  I  re- 
ported these  matters  to  Mr.  Hughes,  but,  soon  after,  a 
very  dangerous  illness  put  a  stop  to  my  experiments, 
which  I  did  not  resume  for  a  considerable  time,  when 
the  proprietor  called,  and  told  me  his  waters  were  in  very 
great  repute,  and  known  by  the  name  of  Bagnigge 
Wells  ;  which  I  remembered  to  have  seen  in  the  news- 
papers, without  so  much  as  guessing  it  had  been  given 
to  these  springs.  Mr.  Hughes  took  me  to  his  wells, 
where  I  was  not  a  little  pleased  with  the  elegant  accom- 
modations he  had  provided  for  company  in  so  short  a 
time." 

The  house  attached  to  the  Spa  is  said  to  have  been 
the  residence  of  Nell  Gwyn,  but  tradition  has  assigned 
her  so  many  houses;  at  Chelsea,  Bagnigge  Wells,  High- 
gate,  Walworth,  and  Filberts,  near  Windsor — nay,  one 
enterprising  tradesman  in  the  Strand  has  christened 
a  milk  shop  <cNell  Gwyn's  Dairy,"  and  has  gone  to 
some  expense,  in  pictorial  tiles,  to  impress  on  passers-by 
the  genuineness  of  his  assertion. 

Still,  local  tradition  is  strong,  and,  in  a  book  called 
<c  The  Recreations  l  of  Mr.  Zigzag  the  elder "  (a 
pseudonym  for  Mr.  John  Wykeham  Archer,  artist  and 
antiquary),  which  is  in  the  Library  of  the  City  of 
London,  and  which  is  profusely  <c  Grangerised  "  by  the 
author,  is  a  small  water  colour  of  Bagnigge  House,  the 
reputed  dwelling  of  Nell  Gwyn,  which  I  have  repro- 
duced in  outline,  and  on  this  drawing  is  a  note,  "  More- 
over several  small  tenements  at  the  north  end  of  the 

1  These  papers  appeared  in  the  Illustrated  Family  Journal. 


86 


Bagnigge  House. 


Garden  were  formerly  entitled  Nell  Gwynne's  Buildings, 
which  seems  to  verify  the  tradition."  T 

But  the  evidence  is  all  of  a  quasi  kind.  In  the  long 
room,  supposed  to  have  been  the  banqueting  room,  was, 
over  the  mantel,  a  bust,  an  alto  relievo,  of  a  female, 
supposed  to  be  Nell  Gwyn,  and  said  to  be  modelled  by 
Sir  Peter  Lely,  enclosed  in  a  circular  border  of  fruit, 
which,  of  course,  was   at   once  set   down  as   a  delicate 


j$A 


bagnigge  house.     (Said  to  have  been  Nell  Gwyn's.) 

allusion  to  the  actress's  former  calling  of  orange  wench 
in  the  theatres.  The  bust  and  border  were  painted  to 
imitate  nature,  and  on  either  side  were  coats  of  arms — ■ 
one  the  Royal  arms,  and,  on  the  other  side,  the  Royal 
arms  quartered  with  others,  which  were  supposed  to  be 
those  assumed  by  the  actress.     When  the  old  house  was 

1  In  Cromwell's  "History  of  Clerkenwell,"  p.  322,  wc  read, 
"  In  memory  of  its  supposed  proprietor,  the  owner  of  some  small 
tenements  near  the  north  end  of  the  gardens  styled  them  'Nell 
Gwynn's  Buildings  ;'  but  the  inscription  was  eras^"  before  1803." 


Bagnigge  House.  87 

pulled  down,  the  bust  disappeared,  and  no  one  knows 
whither  it  went. 

I  give  a  quotation  from  the  Sunday  Times,  July  5, 
1840,  not  as  adding  authority,  or  weight,  to  the  idea 
that  Bagnigge  House  was  Nell's  residence,  but  to  show 
how  deeply  rooted  was  the  tradition.  It  is  a  portion  of 
the  cc  Maximms  and  Speciments  of  William  Muggins ', 
Natural  Philosopher,  and  Citizen  of  the  World  " — 

<cOh  !  how  werry  different  London  are  now  to  wot 
it  war  at  the  time  as  I  took  my  view  on  it  from  the  post ; 
none  of  them  beautiful  squares  and  streets,  as  lies  heast 
and  west,  and  north  of  the  hospital,  war  built  then  ;  it 
war  hall  hopen  fields  right  hup  to  Ampstead  an  Ighgate 
and  Hislington.  Bagnigge  Well  stood  by  itself  at  the 
foot  of  the  hill,  jist  where  it  does  now ;  and  then  it 
looked  the  werry  pictur  of  countryfiedness  and  hin- 
nocence.  There  war  the  beautiful  white  washed  walls, 
with  the  shell  grotto  in  the  hoctagon  summer  house, 
where  Nell  Gwynne  used  to  sit  and  watch  for  King 
Charles  the  Second.  By  the  by,  a  pictur  done  by  a 
famous  hartist  of  them  days,  Sir  Somebody  Neller  I 
thinks  war  his  name,  represents  the  hidentical  ouse  (it 
war  a  fine  palace  then)  with  the  hidentical  hoctagon 
summer  house,  with  the  beautiful  Nelly  leaning  hout  of 
the  winder,  with  her  lilly  white  hand  and  arm  a-beckon- 
ing,  while  the  King  is  seed  in  the  distance  galloping 
like  vinking  across  the  fields  a  waving  his  hat  and 
feathers  ;  while  a  little  page,  with  little  tobacker-pipe 
legs,  in  white  stockings,  stands  ready  to  hopen  a  little 
door  in  the  garden  wall,  and   let  hin   the  royal  wisitor. 


88  Bagnigge  House. 

while  two  little  black  and  tan  spanels  is  frisking  about 
and  playing  hup  hold  gooseberry  among  the  flower  beds. 
That  ere  pictur  used  to  hang  hup  in  the  bar  parlor ;  its 
wanished  now — so  are  the  bust  as  were  in  the  long  room  ; 
but  there's  another  portrait  pictur  of  her,  all  alone  by 
herself,  done  by  Sir  Peter  Lely,  still  to  be  seen.  (This 
here  last  coorosity  war  discovered  honly  a  year  or  two  ago, 
rolled  hup  among  sum  rubbige  in  the  loft  hunder  the 
roof.)" 

The  old  house,  however,  was  evidently  of  some 
importance,  for,  over  a  low  doorway  which  led  into  the 
garden,  was  a  stone,  on  which  was  sculptured  a  head  in 
relief,  and  the  following  inscription — 

X 

THIS    IS     BAGNIGGE 

HOUSE    NEARE 

THE    PINDAR    A 

WAKEFIELDE 

1680. 

thus  showing  that  the  Pindar  of  Wakefield  was  the 
older  house,  and  famous  in  that  locality.  This  doorway 
and  stone  were  in  existence  within  the  last  forty  years, 
for,  in  a  footnote  to  page  572  of  the  Gentleman  s  Maga- 
zine of  June,  1847,  it  savs>  "The  gate  and  inscription 
still  remain,  and  will  be  found,  where  we  saw  them  a 
few  weeks  since,  in  the  road  called  Coppice  Row,  on  the 
left  going  from  Clerkenwell  towards  the  New  Road." 


Bagnigge   Wells. 


The  following  illustration  gives  Bagnigge  Wells  as  it 
appeared  at  the  end  of  last  century. 


BAGNIGGE   WELLS,    NEAR    BATTLE    BRIDGE,    ISLINGTON. 

We  have  read  how  these  gardens  were  first  started  in 
1757,  but  they  soon  became  well  known  and,  indeed, 
notorious,  as  we  read  in  a  very  scurrilous  poem  called 
f<  Bagnigge  Wells,"  by  W.  Woty,  in  1760 — 

"Wells,  and  the  place  I  sing,  at  early  dawn 
Frequented  oft,  where  male  and  female  meet, 
And  strive  to  drink  a  long  adieu  to  pain. 
In  that  refreshing  Vale  with  fragrance  fill'd, 
Renown'd  of  old  for  Nymph  of  public  fame 
And  amorous  Encounter,  where  the  sons 
Of  lawless  lust  conven'd — where  each  by  turns 
His  venal  Doxy  woo'd,  and  stil'd  the  place 
Black  Mary's  Hole — there  stands  a  Dome  superb, 
Hight  Bagnigge  ;    where  from  our  Forefathers  hid, 
Long  have  two  Springs  in  dull  stagnation  slept  ; 
But,  taught  at  length  by  subtle  art  to  flow, 


90  Bagnigge  Wells. 

They  rise,  forth  from  Oblivion's  bed  they  rise, 
And  manifest  their  Virtues  to  Mankind." 

The  major  portion  of  this  poem  (?)  is  rather  too  risque 
for  modern  publication,  but  the  following  extract  shows 
the  sort  of  people  who  went  there  with  the  view  of 
benefiting  their  health  — 

"Here  ambulates  th'  Attorney  looking  grave, 
And  Rake  from  Bacchanalian  rout  uprose, 
And  mad  festivity.     Here,  too,  the  Cit, 
With  belly,  turtle-stuff'd,  and  man  of  Gout, 
With  leg  of  size  enormous.     Hobbling  on, 
The  Pump-room  he  salutes,  and  in  the  chair 
He  squats  himself  unwieldy.     Much  he  drinks, 
And  much  he  laughs  to  see  the  females  quaff 
The  friendly  beverage.     He,  nor  jest  obscene, 
Of  meretricious  wench,  nor  quibble  quaint, 
Of  prentic'd  punster  heeds,  himself  a  wit 
And  dealer  in  conundrums,  but  retorts 
The  repartee  jocosely.     Soft  !  how  pale 
Yon  antiquated  virgin  looks  !     Alas  ! 
In  vain  she  drinks,  in  vain  she  glides  around 
The  Garden's  labyrinth.     'Tis  not  for  thee, 
Mistaken  nymph  !    these  waters  pour  their  streams,"  &c. 

And  in  the  prologue  to  "  Bon  Ton  :  or  High  Life 
above  Stairs,"  by  David  Garrick,  acted  at  Drury  Lane 
for  the  first  time,  for  the  benefit  of  Mr.  King,  in  1775, 
not  much  is  said  as  to  the  character  of  its  frequenters. 

"  Ah  !    I  loves  life  and  all  the  joy  it  yields, 
Says  Madam  Fupock,  warm  from  Spittleficlds. 
Bon  Ton's  the  space  'twixt  Saturday  and  Monday, 
And  riding  in  a  one-horse  chaise  on  Sunday, 
'Tis  drinking  tea  on  summer's  afternoons 
At  Bagnigge  Wells,  with  china  and  gilt  spoons." 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


THE  gardens  were  pretty,  after  the  manner  of  the 
times ;  we  should  not,  perhaps,  particularly  ad- 
mire the  formally  cut  lines  and  hedges,  nor  the 
fountain  in  which  a  Cupid  is  hugging  a  swan,  nor  the 
rustic  statuary  of  the  haymakers.  Still  it  was  a  little 
walk  out  of  London,  where  fresh  air  could  be  breathed, 
and  a  good  view  obtained  of  the  northern  hills  of 
Hampstead  and  Highgate,  with  the  interlying  pastoral 
country,  sparsely  dotted  with  farmhouses  and  cottages. 
The  Fleet,  here,  had  not  been  polluted  into  a  sewer  as 
it  was  further  on,  and  there  were  all  the  elements  of 
spending  a  pleasant,  happy  day,  in  good  air,  amid  rural 
scenes. 

The  place,  however,  rapidly  became  a  disreputable 
rendezvous,  and  we  get  an  excellent  glimpse  of  the 
costumes  of  circa  1780  in  the  two  following  en- 
gravings taken  from  mezzotints  published  by  Car- 
ington   Bowles  ;  although  not  dated,  they  are  of  that 


94 


Bagnigge  Wells. 


period,  showing  the  Macaronis  and  Belles  of  that  time. 
The  first  is  called  "  The  Bread  and  Butter  Manu- 


A    I5AGNIGGE   WELLS    SCENE  ;   OR,    NO   RESISTING   TEMPTATION. 

{PziOlished  for  Carington  Bowles.) 

factory,1  or  the  Humours  of  Bagnigge  Wells/'  and 

1   An   allusion   to   the   hot  buttered  rolls,  which  were  in  vogue 
there. 


The  Organist. 


95 


the  second  cc  A  Bagnigge  Wells  Scene,  or  no  resisting 
temptation,"  which  gives  a  charming  representation  of 
the  ultra  fashion  of  dress  then  worn. 


THE    DAGNIGGE   ORGANIST. 


Yet  another    glance  at  the  manners  of  the  time  is 
afforded  by  the  boy  waiter,  who  hurries  along  with  his 
tray  of  tea-things  and  kettle  of  hot  water.1 
1  See  p.  93. 


96  Different  Proprietors. 

And  there  was  good  music  there,  too—  an  organ  in 
the  long  room,  on  which  Charles  Griffith  performed,  as 
may  be  seen  in  the  accompanying  illustration.1  The 
name  of  Davis  on  the  music  books,  is  that  of  the  then 
proprietor,  and  the  lines  underneath  are  parodied  from 
Dry  den's  "Song  for  St.  Cecilia's  day,  1687."  . 

"What  passion  cannot  music  raise  and  quell ! 
When  Jubal  struck  the  corded  shell, 
His  listening  brethren  stood  around, 
And,  wondering,  on  their  faces  fell." 

It  went  on  with  varying  fortunes,  and  under  various 
proprietors.  First  of  all  Mr.  Hughes,  then,  in  1792, 
Davis  had  it ;  in  1 8 13  it  was  in  the  hands  of  one  Salter; 
in  1818,  a  man  named  Thorogood  took  it,  but  let  it  to 
one  Monkhouse,  who  failed,  and  it  reverted  to  Thoro- 
good. Then  came  as  tenant,  a  Mr.  Chapman,  who 
was  bankrupt  in  1833,  and,  in  1834,  Richard  Chapman 
was  proprietor.  I  fancy  he  was  the  last,  as  public  house, 
and  gardens,  combined. 

Mr.  William  Muggins,  before  quoted,  laments  its 
decadence  thus :  c'  Besides  the  whitewashed  walls,  and 
hoctagon  shell  grotto,  there  war  the  tea  garden,  with  its 
honey  suckle  and  sweet  briar  harbours,  where  they  used 
to  drink  tea  hout  of  werry  small  cups,  and  heat  the 
far  famed  little  hot  loaves  and  butter ;  then  there  war  the 
dancing  plot,  and  the  gold  and  silver  fish  ponds,  and  the 
bowling  green,  and  skittle  alley,  and  fire  work  ground 
hall  so  romantic  and  rural,  standing  in  the  middle  of  a 
lot  of  fields,  and  shaded  around  with  trees.  Now  it's  a 
werry  different  concarn,  for  it's  surrounded  with  building 
1   See  previous  page. 


"  Punch  "  on  Bagnigge  Wells.  97 

— the  gardens  is  cut  hoff  to  nuffin,  and  the  ouse  looks 
tumble  down  and  miserable."     That  was  in  1840. 

It  was  about  this  time  that  a  song  appeared  in  u  The 
Little  Melodist/*  1839 — dilating  on  the  delights  ot  the 
neighbourhood  of  Islington,  and  the  first  verse  ran  thus : 

"Will  you  go  to  Bagnigge  Wells, 

Bonnet  builder,  O  ! 
Where  the  Fleet  ditch  fragrant  smells, 

Bonnet  builder,  O  ! 
Where  the  fishes  used  to  swim, 
So  nice  and  sleek  and  trim, 
But  the  pond's  now  covered  in, 

Bonnet  builder,  O  ! 

Punch,  too,  when  it  was  young,  and  had  warm 
blood  coursing  through  its  veins,  visited  Bagnigge 
Wells,  and  recorded  the  visit  in  its  pages  (Sept.  7, 
1 843).  After  a  description  of  the  walk  thither,  it  says, 
<c  We  last  visited  Bagnigge  Wells  about  the  beginning 
of  the  present  week.,  and,  like  many  travellers,  at  first 
passed  close  to  it  without  seeing  it.  Upon  returning, 
however,  our  eye  was  first  arrested  by  an  ancient  door 
in  the  wall  over  which  was  inscribed  the  following : — l 

"This  inscription,  of  which  the  above  is  ufac  simile 
was  surmounted  by  a  noseless  head  carved  in  stone  ; 
and,  underneath,  was  a  cartoon  drawn  in  chalk  upon  the 
door,  evidently  of  a  later  date,  and  bearing  a  resem- 
blance to  some  of  the  same  class  in  Gell's  c  Pompeii.' 
Underneath  was  written  in  letters  of  an  irregular 
alphabet,  c  Chucky  '  —  the  entire  drawing  being, 
without  doubt,  some  local  pasquinade. 

"  Not  being  able  to  obtain  admittance  at  the  door,  we 
1  See  ante-p.  88. 


98  "Punch"   on  Bagnigge  Wells. 

went  on  a  short  distance,  and  came  to  the  ruins  of  the 
ancient  c  Wells/  of  which  part  of  the  banqueting  room 
still  exists.  These  are  entirely  open  to  the  public 
as  well  as  the  adjoining  pleasure  grounds,  although 
the  thick  layer  of  brick-bats  with  which  they  are 
covered,  renders  walking  a  task  of  some  difficulty. 
The  adjacent  premises  of  an  eminent  builder  separate 
them  by  some  cubits  from  the  road  of  Gray's  Inn, 
near  which,  what  we  suppose  to  be  the  c  Well '  is  still 
visible.  It  is  a  round  hole  in  the  ground  behind  the 
ruins,  filled  up  with  rubbish  and  mosaics  of  oyster  shells, 
but,  at  present,  about  eighteen  inches  deep. 

iC  It  is  very  evident  that  the  character  of  Bagnigge 
Wells  has  much  altered  within  the  last  century.  For, 
bearing  that  date,  we  have  before  us  the  c  Song  of  the 
'Prentice  to  his  Mistress '  in  which  the  attractions  of 
the  place  are  thus  set  forth  : — 

"  '  Come,  come,  Miss  Priscy,  make  it  up,        , 

And  we  will  lovers  be  : 
And  we  will  go  to  Bagnigge  Wells, 

And  there  we'll  have  some  tea. 
And  there  you'll  see  the  ladybirds 

All  on  the  stinging  nettles  ; 
And  there  you'll  see  the  water-woi  ks, 

And  shining  copper  kettles. 
And  there  you'll  see  the  fishes,  Miss, 

More  curious  than  whales  ; 
They're  made  of  gold  and  silver,  Mis?, 

And  wag  their  little  tails.'  z 

1  With  all  due  deference  to  Punch,  I  think  his  version  is  slightly, 
only  slightly,  inaccurate.  I  have  before  me  five  copies,  two  MS. 
and  three  printed,  all  of  which  run — 

"  Come,  prithee  make  it  up,  Miss, 
And  be  as  lovers  be, 


M  Punch  "   on   Bagnigge   Wells.  99 

"  Of  the  wonders  recounted  in  these  stanzas,  the  sting- 
ing nettles  alone  remain  flourishing,  which  they  do  in 
great  quantity.  The  Waterworks  are  now  confined  to 
two  spouts  and  a  butt  against  the  adjacent  building ; 
and  the  gold  and  silver  fishes  separately,  in  the  form  of 
red  herrings  and  sprats,  have  been  removed  to  the  stalls 
in  the  neighbourhood,  with  a  great  deal  more  of  the 
wag  in  the  dealer,  than  in  themselves. 

"The  real  Bagnigge  Wells,  where  company  assemble 
to  drink,  at  the  present  day,  is  next  door  to  the  ruins. 
The  waters  are  never  drank,  however,  now,  without 
being  strongly  medicated,  by  a  process  carried  on  at  the 
various  brewers  and  distillers  of  the  Metropolis :  with- 
out this,  they  are  supposed,  by  some  classes,  to  be  highly 
injurious.  Their  analysis  have  produced  various  results. 
Soda  has  been  detected  in  one  species,  analogous  to  the 


We'll  go  to  Bagnigge  Wells,  Miss, 

And  there  we'll  have  some  tea. 
It's  there  you'll  see  the  Lady-birds 

Perch'd  on  the  Stinging  Nettles  ; 
The  Chrystal  water  Fountain, 

And  the  Copper,  shining  Kettles. 
It's  there  you'll  see  the  Fishes, 

More  curious  they  than  Whales, 
And  they're  made  of  Gold  and  Silver,  Miss, 

And  wags  their  little  tails. 

Oh  !    they  wags  their  little  Tails 

— They  wags  their  little  Tails 
Oh  !   they're  made  of  gold  and  silver,  Miss,  and  they 
wags  their  little  Tails. 

Oh  !  dear  !    Oh  !  la  !    Oh  !  dear  !    Oh  !    la  ! 
Oh  !    dear  !    Oh!    la  ! 

How  funny  !  " 


ioo  Decadence  of  "The  Wells." 

German  Seltzer,  and  designated  c  Webb's ' ;  others 
contain  iron  in  appreciable  quantities,  and  institute  a 
galvanic  circle,  when  quaffed  from  goblets  formed  from 
an  alloy  of  tin  and  lead  :  in  some  constitutions  quicken- 
ing the  circulation,  and  raising  the  animal  temperature  — 
in  others,  producing  utter  prostration. 

"  Flannel  jackets,  and  brown  paper  caps  appeared  to  be 
the  costume  of  the  valetudinarians  who  were  drinking 
at  the  Wells,  during  our  stay.  We  patronized  the 
tepid  spa  by  ordering  '  Sixpennyworth  warm/  as  the 
potion  was  termed  in  the  dialect  of  Bagnigge,  for  the 
purpose  of  drawing  the  proprietor  into  conversation. 
But  he  was,  evidently,  reluctant  to  impart  much 
information,  and  told  us  nothing  beyond  what  we 
already  knew — a  custom  very  prevalent  at  all  the 
springs  we  have  visited. 

<c  Lodgings,  provisions,  clothing,  &c,  are  to  be  had 
at  low  rates  in  the  neighbourhood,  and  there  are  several 
delightful  spots  in  the  vicinity  of  Bagnigge  Wells. 

"  The  Excursion  to  Battle  Bridge  will  be  found  highly 
interesting,  returning  by  the  Brill ;  and,  to  the  admirers 
of  nature,  the  panorama  from  the  summit  of  King's 
Cross,  embracing  the  Small  Pox  Hospital,  and  Imperial 
Gas  Works,  with  the  very  low  countries  surrounding 
them,  is  peculiarly  worthy  of  especial  notice." 

Two  years  previous  to  this  notice,  there  was  a  para- 
graph in  the  times  (April  6,  1841)  which  shows  how 
the  Wells  had  fallen  into  decadence.  fC  The  Old  Grotto, 
which  had  all  the  windows  out,  and  was  greatly  dilapi- 
dated, and  the  upper  part  of  the  Garden  Wall,  was 
knocked  down  by  some  persons  going  along  Bagnigge 
Road,  early  this  morning." 


Bagnigge  Wells. 


ioi 


The  old  place  had  fulfilled  its  mission.  It  had 
ministered  to  the  recreation  and  amusement,  harmless, 
or  otherwise,  of  generations  of  Londoners,  and  it  came 
to  final  grief,  and  disappeared  in  1 844.  Its  name  is 
still  preserved  in  cc  The  Bagnigge  Wells"  Tavern,  39, 
King's  Cross  Road,  and  that  is  all  the  reminiscence  we 
have  of  this  once  famous  place  of  recreative  resort. 


CHAPTER   IX0 


A  LITTLE  farther  on,  it  washed  the  walls  of  Cold 
Bath  Fields  Prison,  the  House  of  Correction,  and 
we  get  a  view  of  it  in  Hone's  cc  Table  Book,"  l 
p.  75.  Here  he  says,  cc  In  1825,  this  was  the  first  open 
view,  nearest  London,  of  the  ancient  River  Fleet:  it 
was  taken  during  the  building  of  the  high  arched  walls 
connected  with  the  House  of  Correction,  Cold  Bath 
Fields,  close  to  which  prison  the  river  ran,  as  here  seen. 
At  that  time,  the  newly  erected  walls  communicated  a 
peculiarly  picturesque  effect  to  the  stream  flowing  with- 
in their  confines." 

This  cc  House  of  Correction  "  was  indebted  for  its 
birth  to  the  famous  John  Howard,  who  had  made  an 
European  tour,  not  to  mention  a  home  one,  inquisitori- 
ally  inspecting  prisons.  We  all  know  the  result  of  his 
labours ;  how  he  exposed  abuses  fearlessly,  and  made 
men's  hearts  soften  somewhat  towards  those  incarcerated. 
Howard,  writing  in  1789,  held  that  capital  punishment 
should  be  abolished  except  for  murder,  setting  houses  on 

1  See  next  page. 


104 


Cold  Bath  Fields  Prison. 


firey  and  for  house  breaking,  attended  with  acts  of  cruelty. 
And  speaking  of  his  Penitentiaries,  he  says  : 

<cTo  these  houses,  however,  I  would  have  none  but 


fe* 


THE  ANCIENT  RIVER  FLEET,   AT  CLERKENWELL,    1825. 

old,  hardened  offenders,  and  those  who  have,  as  the 
laws  now  stand,  forfeited  their  lives  by  robbery,  house- 
breaking, and  similar  Crimes,  should  be  committed  ;  or, 
in  short,  those  Criminals  who  are  to  be  confined  for  a 
long  term  or  for  life.   .  .   , 


Cold  Bath  Fields  Prison,.  105 

"  The  Penitentiary  houses,  I  would  have  built,  in  a 
great  measure,  by  the  convicts.  I  will  suppose  that  a 
power  is  obtained  from  Parliament  to  employ  such  of 
them  as  are  now  at  work  on  the  Thames,  or  some  of 
those  who  are  in  the  county  gaols,  under  sentence  of 
transportation,  as  may  be  thought  most  expedient.  In 
the  first  place,  let  the  surrounding  wall,  intended  for 
full  security  against  escapes,  be  completed,  and  proper 
lodges  for  the  gate  keepers.  Let  temporary  buildings, 
of  the  nature  of  barracks,  be  erected  in  some  part  of 
this  enclosure  which  would  be  wanted  the  least,  till  the 
whole  is  finished." 

This  was  a  portion  of  his  scheme,  and  he  suggested 
that  it  should  be  located,  where  it  was  afterwards  built, 
in  Cold  Bath  Fields — because  the  situation  was  healthy, 
that  good  water  could  be  obtained  from  the  White 
Conduit,  as  the  Charter  House  no  longer  required  that 
source  of  supply,  it  being  well  served  by  the  New 
River  Company — that  labour  was  cheap — and  so  was 
food,  especially  the  coarse  meat  from  the  shambles  at 
Islington. 

The  prisoners  were  to  have  separate  cells,  so  as  to 
prevent  the  promiscuous  herding  of  all,  which  had 
previously  produced  such  mischievous  results,  and  these 
cells  were  to  be  light  and  airy.  The  convicts  of  both 
sexes  were  to  work,  and  their  food  was  to  be  apportioned 
to  the  work  they  had  to  do.  Also — a  very  great  step 
in  the  right  direction — they  were  all  to  wear  a  prison 
uniform.  Howard,  philanthropist  as  he  was,  was  very 
far  from  lenient  to  the  rogue.  He  was  fully  aware  of 
the  value  of  work,  and  specially  provided  that  his  rogues, 


106  Cold  Bath  Fields  Prison. 

in  their  reformation,  should  pass  through  the  purifying 
process  of  hard  labour.  In  later  times,  the  way  of 
transgressors  was  hard  in  that  place,  and  it  became  a 
terror  to  evildoers,  being  known  by  the  name  of  the 
English  Bastile — which,  however,  amongst  its  patrons, 
was  diminished,  until  it  finally  was  abbreviated  into 
<c  the  Steel "  by  which  name  it  was  known  until  its 
abolition.1 

This  cognomen  was  so  well  known,  that,  in  1799,  a 
book  was  written  by  cc  A  Middlesex  Magistrate "  en- 
titled "  The  Secrets  of  the  English  Bastile  disclosed  " 
— which  was  a  favourable  story  of  the  management  of 
the  prison  in  Cold  Bath  Fields.  Still,  it  was  the  subject 
of  a  Parliamentary  inquiry,  as  we  find  in  the 
Gentleman  s  Magazine  for  1798-9,  under  date  of  Dec. 
31,  1798,  p.  398,  that,  in  the  House  of  Commons, 
Sir  Francis  Burdett  gave  notice  of  his  intention  of 
moving,  at  some  future  day,  for  a  report  relative  to 
the  system  practised  in  the  prison,  called  the  House  of 
Correction,  Cold  Bath  Fields,  with  regard  to  the 
persons  therein  confined. 

In  the  "  Parliamentary  History  of  England,"  vol. 
xxxiv.  p.  566,  we  learn  that  on  Mar.  6,  1799,  Mr.  W. 
Dundas  moved  that  a  Select  Committee  be  appointed  to 

1  J.  T.  Smith  in  his  "  Vagabondiana,"  ed.  1815-1817,  p.  51, 
alludes  thus  to  the  prison  :  "  Perhaps  the  only  waggery  in  public- 
house  customs  now  remaining,  is  in  the  tap  room  of  the  Apple- 
tree,  opposite  to  Cold  Bath  Fields  Prison.  There  are  a  pair  of 
hand  cuffs  fastened  to  the  wires  as  bell-pulls,  and  the  orders  given 
by  some  of  the  company,  when  they  wish  their  friends  to  ring,  are, 
to  'Agitate  the  Conductor.'" 


Cold  Bath  Fields  Prison.  107 

inquire  into  the  state  of  his  Majesty's  prison  in  Cold 
Bath  Fields,  Clerkenwell,  and  report  the  same,  as  it 
shall  appear  to  them,  together  with  their  opinion  there- 
upon, to  the  House ;  and  a  Committee  was  appointed 
accordingly.  Unfortunately,  the  pages  of  what,  after- 
wards, become  Hansard's,  do  not  record  the  result. 

But  in  the  Annual  Register  for  the  same  year  on  Dec. 
2ist  there  was  a  long  report  respecting  it  during  a 
debate  on  the  suspension  of  the  Habeas  Corpus  Act. 
Mr.  Courtenay  said,  that,  cc  having  visited  the  prisons, 
he  found  the  prisoners  without  fire,  and  without  candles, 
denied  every  kind  of  society,  exposed  to  the  cold  and 
the  rain,  allowed  to  breathe  the  air  out  of  their  cells 
only  for  an  hour,  denied  every  comfort,  every  innocent 
amusement,  excluded  from  all  intercourse  with  each 
other,  and,  each  night  locked  up  from  all  the  rest  of  the 
world.  He  supposed  it  was  scarcely  necessary  to 
inform  the  House,  that  the  prison  of  which  he  had 
been  speaking,  was  that  in  Cold  Bath  Fields,  known  by 
the  name  of  the  Bastille."  There  was  a  lot  more  non- 
sense of  the  same  type  talked  by  other  M.P.'s  and,  it 
is  needless  to  say,  that  the  exaggerated  statements  were 
anent  a  political  prisoner — who  afterwards  suffered  death 
for  treason.  And  in  the  remainder  of  the  debate  even 
the  very  foundation  for  the  libel  was  destroyed.  It  is  a 
curious  fact,  that  people  have  an  idea  that  political 
prisoners,  who  have  done  as  much  harm  to  the  common- 
weal as  they  have  the  possibility  of  doing,  are  to  be  treated 
daintily,  and  with  every  consideration  for  their  extremely 
sensitive  feelings.  We,  perhaps,  in  these  latter  days, 
may  read  a  profitable  lesson  in  the  suppression  of  treason, 


io8  Cold  Bath  Fields  Prison. 

from  the  proper  carrying  out  of  the  sentences  legally 
imposed  upon  those  who  resist  the  law  out  of  pure 
malice  (legal). 

In  the  Gentleman's  Magazine  for  1796,  is  the 
following  letter  to — 

Dec.  10,  1795. 
Mr.  Urban. — Your  respect  for  the  memory  of  Mr. 
Howard,  will  induce  you  to  insert  the  inclosed  view  of 
the  House  of  Correction  for  the  County  of  Middlesex, 
formed  principally  on  his  judicious  suggestions.  It  is 
situated  on  the  North  side  of  London,  between  Cold 
Bath  Fields,  and  Gray's  Inn  Lane.  The  spot  on  which 
it  is  erected  having  been  naturally  swampy,  and  long 
used  for  a  public  lay-stall,  it  was  found  prudent  to  lay 
the  foundation  so  deep,  and  pile  it  so  securely,  that  it  is 
supposed  there  are  as  many  bricks  laid  underground  as 
appear  to  sight.  What  is  more  to  the  purpose,  the 
internal  regulations  of  this  place  of  security  are  believed 
to  be  perfectly  well  adapted  to  the  salutary  purposes  to 
which  the  building  is  appropriated. 

<c  Yours,  &c, 

"Eugenio." 

Still  Cold  Bath  Fields  Prison  had  an  evil  name — in 
all  probability,  because  prisoners  there,  were  treated  as 
if  they  had  sinned  against  the  social  canons,  and  were  not 
persons  to  be  coaxed  and  petted  into  behaviour  such  as 
would  enable  them  to  rank  among  their  more  honest 
fellows,  and  in  this  way  wrote  Coleridge  and  Southey  in 
"The    Devil's    Walk,"   which    was    suggested    by    the 


Cold  Bath  Fields  Prison.  109 

pseudo   Christos    Brothers   who    as    these    gentlemen 
wrote  : — l 

"He  walked  into  London  leisurely, 
The  streets  were  dirty  and  dim  : 
But  there  he  saw  Brothers,  the  Prophet, 
And  Brothers  the  Prophet  saw  him." 

Well,  in  the  Devil's  rambles  he  came  across  Cold 
Bath  Fields  Prison — which,  as  I  have  said,  was 
not  beloved  of  the  criminal  class,  and,  simply,  as  I 
think,  for  the  sake  of  saying  something  smart,  and  not 
that  they  ever  had  experienced  incarceration,  or  is  there 
any  evidence  that  they  had  even  seen  the  prison,  they 
write : 

"As  he  passed  through  Cold  Bath  Fields  he  look'd 
At  a  solitary  Cell  ; 
And  he  was  well-pleased,  for  it  gave  him  a  hint 
For  improving  the  prisons  of  Hell. 

He  saw  a  turnkey  tie  a  thief's  hands 

With  a  cordial  try  and  a  jerk  ; 
Nimbly,  quoth  he,  a  man's  fingers  move 

When  his  heart  is  in  his  work. 

He  saw  the  same  turnkey  unfettering  a  man 

With  little  expedition  ; 
And  he  chuckled  to  think  of  his  dear  slave  trade, 
And  the  long  debates,  and  delays  that  were  made 

Concerning  its  abolition." 

There  is  very  little  doubt,  however,  that,  in  the 
closing  year  of  last,  and  the  commencing  one  of  this, 

1  "  After  this  I  was  in  a  vision,  having  the  angel  of  God  near 
me,  and  saw  Satan  walking  leisurely  into  London  "  ("  Brothers' 
Prophecies,"  part  i.  p.  41). 


no  Cold  Bath  Fields  Prison. 

century,  the  conduct  of  the  Governor — a  man  named 
Aris — was  open  to  very  grave  censure.  People  outside 
imagined  that  all  sorts  of  evils  were  being  perpetrated 
within  its  walls,  and,  either  through  laxity,  or  too 
great  seventy,  of  discipline,  something  nigh  akin  to 
mutiny  occurred  in  the  prison  in  July,  1800 — which 
was  promptly  stopped  by  the  presence  of  a  company  of 
the  Clerkenwell  Volunteers.  In  August  of  the  same 
year,  there  was  another  outbreak  in  the  prison,  the 
occupants  shouting  "  Murder,"  and  that  they  were 
being  starved,  in  tones  loud  enough  to  be  heard  outside, 
and,  once  more  the  Volunteers  were  the  active  agents 
in  enforcing  law  and  order.  This  latter  tc  seething  of 
the  pot "  lasted  a  few  days,  and  it  culminated  in  the 
discharge  of  the  obnoxious  Governor  Aris. 

There  is  nothing  noteworthy  to  chronicle  of  this 
prison  from  that  date,1  all  prison  details  being,  neces- 

1  I  have  met  with  a  Newspaper  Cutting,  with  no  clue  to  its 
authenticity  or  date.  "  Dreadful  Ravages  of  the  Influenza  in 
the  House  of  Correction. — Yesterday  afternoon,  Inquests  were 
holden  by  William  Baker,  Esq.,  one  of  the  Coroners  for  the  County 
of  Middlesex,  at  the  House  of  Correction,  Coldbath  Fields,  on  no 
less  than  five  individuals,  namely,  Peter  Griffiths,  Michael  Hughes, 
James  Jones,  Thomas  Lillie,  and  Ann  Connard,  all  of  whom  had 
died  from  the  effects  of  the  present  prevalent  epidemic,  or  influenza, 
and  who  were  inmates  of  that  prison,  and  had  been  sentenced  to 
different  periods  of  imprisonment.  It  is  a  fact  that,  for  the  last 
two  months,  more  prisoners  have  died  in  this  prison,  principally 
from  the  effects  of  influenza,  than  had  died  there  during  the  whole 
of  the  preceding  year."  Possibly  the  poor  Fleet  River,  at  that  time 
hardly  degraded  to  the  level  of  the  Sewer — which  now  it  is — may 
have  had  something  to  do  with  the  unsanitary  condition  or  the 
prison. — J.  A. 


Cold  Bath   Fields  Prison.  hi 

sarily,  unsavoury  — and  this  particular  one  was  not 
watered  with  rose  water.  It  was  a  place  of  hard  work, 
mid  not  likely  to  impress  the  unproductive  class,  with  a 
wish  to  be  permanent  inhabitants  thereof.  Yet,  as  this 
present  year  witnessed  its  demolition,  something  more 
must  be  said  respecting  it.  In  the  Globe  newspaper 
of  January  i,  1887,  *s  tn^s  short  paragraph:  "Notices 
were  yesterday  posted  on  the  walls  of  Coldbath  Fields 
Prison,  intimating  that  it  is  for  sale.  Tenders  are 
invited  for  the  site,  and  all  buildings,  &c,  contained 
within  the  boundary  walls.  The  prison  covers  an  area 
of  eight  acres  and  three  quarters." 

There  ought  to  be  some  record  of  its  dying  days,  for 
the  demolition  of  a  prison  in  a  large  community  of 
people,  like  ours  in  London,  must  mean  one  of  two 
things,  either  a  diminution  of  crime,  or,  that  the  prison 
is  not  suitable  to  the  requirements  of  the  age. 

The  Ninth  Report  of  the  Commissioners  of  Prisons, 
for  the  Year  ended  March  31,  1886,  speaking  of 
Pentonville  Prison,  says: 

"  In  November,  1885,  the  majority  of  the  prisoners 
confined  in  Coldbath  Fields  Prison  were  transferred  to 
this  Prison ;  and  since  that  date,  the  remainder  have 
also  been  removed  here,  that  prison  being  now  vacated, 
and  in  charge  of  a  warder  acting  as  caretaker. 

"  The  tread-wheel I  has  been  taken  down  at  Coldbath 
Fields  Prison,  and  is  in  process  of  re-erection  here. 

"  The  behaviour  of  the  officers  has  been  good,  with  the 
exception  of  four,  discharged  by  order  of  the  Prison 
Commissioners. 

1  Adopted  at  Coldbath  Fields  Prison,  July,  1822. 


H2  Cold  Bath  Fields  Prison. 

"  The  conduct  of  the  prisoners  has  been  generally 
good. 

"  The  materials  and  provisions  supplied  by  the  Con- 
tractors have  been  good,  and  have  given  satisfaction. 

"  To  meet  the  requirements  of  the  local  prison  service, 
a  room  is  being  completed  for  the  convenience  of  the 
members  oi  the  Visiting  Committee  who  attend  here, 
also  a  room  tor  the  daily  collection  of  prisoners  to  see 
the  medical  officer,  and  other  purposes,  as  well  as 
various  minor  alterations  found  necessary  since  the 
transfer. 

"  A  bakehouse  has  been  completed,  and  is  in  working 
order,  supplying  bread  to  all  metropolitan  prisons. 

"  The  routine  and  discipline  have  been  carried  out  in 
the  same  general  manner  as  heretofore. 

"  The  industrial  labour  continues  to  be  attended  with 
satisfactory  results  ;  the  greater  portion  is  still  devoted 
to  supplying  the  wants  of  other  prisons  or  Government 
establishments  instead  of  the  market. 

"  Uniform  clothing  for  officers  is  cut  out  here  for  all 
local  prisons,  and  made  up  for  a  considerable  number  of 
the  smaller  prisons,  also  prisoners'  clothing  and  bedding, 
hospital  slippers  for  the  Admiralty,  as  well  as  a  large 
number  of  Cases  and  other  articles  for  the  General  Post 
Office  have  been  supplied. 

"  The  duties  of  the  Chaplain's  department  have  been 
performed  uninterruptedly  during  the  year,  morning 
prayers  have  been  said  daily,  and  Divine  Service  has 
been  performed  on  Sundays,  Good  Friday,  and  Christ- 
mas day,  in  the  morning  and  afternoon,  with  a  sermon 
at    both    services.     The    Holy  Communion    has    been 


Cold  Bath  Fields  Prison, 


"3 


celebrated  from  time  to  time  on  Sundays  and  on  the 
great  Sunday  Festivals.  The  hospital  has  been  daily 
visited ;  special  attention  has  been  paid  to  the  prisoners 
confined  in  the  punishment  Cells,  and  constant  oppor- 
tunity has  been  offered  to  all  of  private  instruction  and 
advice.  Books  from  the  prisoners'  library  have  been 
issued  to  all  who  are  entitled  to  receive  them,  all 
prisoners  who  cannot  pass  standard  three,  as  set  forth 
by  the  Education  Committee  have  been  admitted  to 
school  instruction. 

"  School  books  and  slates  and  pencils  are  issued  to 
prisoners  in  their  cells. 

"  The  medical  officer  states  that  the  health  of  the 
prisoners  at  Coldbath  Fields,  and  since  the  transfer  to 
this  prison,  has  been  good.  One  case  of  small-pox 
occurred  at  Coldbath  Fields  ;  as  the  prisoner  had  been 
some  months  in  gaol,  it  was  clear  that  he  had  caught 
the  disease,  either  from  a  warder,  or  from  some  prisoner 
recently  received ;  he  had  been  a  cleaner  in  the  rotunda, 
and,  of  course,  had  been  coming  into  contact  with 
warders  and  prisoners  alike,  in  the  busiest  part  of  the 
prison,  the  presumption  is  that  the  disease  had  been 
carried  by  the  uniform  of  some  warder.  There  were 
five  cases  of  erysipelas  at  Coldbath  Fields,  and  one  at 
this  prison,  at  the  former  place  the  cases  came  from  all 
parts  of  the  prison,  new  and  old.  The  air  shafts  were 
thoroughly  swept  and  limewashed,  and  disinfected  as 
far  as  could  be  reached,  and  there  is  no  doubt  that  it 
checked  the  disease. 

"  The  dietary  has  been  satisfactory  during  the  year, 
and  the  new  pattern  clothing  a  great  improvement, 

9 


1 14  Cold  Bath  Fields  Prison. 

<c  Every  precaution  is  taken  in  classing  prisoners  for 
labour  suited  to  their  age,  physique  and  health. 

cc  The  sanitary  arrangements  are  most  carefully  super- 
vised ;  the  ventilation  in  the  cells  is  very  good." 

I  offer  no  apology  for  intruding  this  report  of  Prison 
life,  which,  if  one  took  the  trouble  to  look  up  the  yearly 
reports,  he  would  find  they  are  all  couched  in  almost 
identical  language.1  I  simply  give  it  for  the  considera- 
tion of  my  readers — who,  with  myself,  do  not  belong 
to  the  criminal  classes — to  show  them  how  those  who 
have  preyed  upon  them,  and  have  deservedly  merited 
punishment,  meet  with  treatment  such  as  the  indigent 
and  industrious  poor,  when,  fallen  upon  evil  times,  can 
not  obtain,  and  the  sooner  these  pampered  criminals 
feel,  through  their  flesh — either  by  the  whip,  hard 
labour,  or  hunger — that  the  wages  of  sin  are  not  paid  at 
a  higher  rate  than  that  procurable  by  honest  labour,  the 
probability  is  that  the  community  at  large  would  be 
considerably  benefited,  and  the  criminal  classes  would  be 
in  a  great  measure  deprived  of  clubs  to  which  there  is 
neither  entrance  fee,  nor  annual  subscription,  in  which 
everything  of  the  best  quality  is  found  them  free  of 
charge,  and  the  health  of  their  precious  carcases  specially 
looked  after,  and  gratuitously  attended  to. 

1   Let  any  one  compare,  for  instance,  reports  for  1884  and  1886, 


CHAPTER  X. 


COLDBATH  FIELDS  were,  a  hundred  and 
twenty  years  ago,  fairly  rural,  for  (although  it 
certainly  is  recorded  as  an  abnormal  occurrence) 
we  find,  in  the  Daily  Courant,  November  12,  1765, 
<c  Friday  afternoon,  about  two  o'clock,  a  hare  crossed 
the  New  Road,  near  Dobney's  Bowling  green,  ran  to 
the  New  River  Head,  and  from  thence  to  Coldbath 
Fields,  where,  in  some  turning  among  the  different 
avenues,  she  was  lost.  She  appeared  to  have  been  hard 
run,  by  her  dirty  and  shabby  coat." 

These  fields  took  their  name  from  a  spring  (part  or 
the  River  of  Wells)  which  had  its  source  there.  A 
Mr.  Walter  Baynes  of  the  Temple,  who  was,  for  his 
day,  far-seeing,  and  made  the  most  of  the  cc  town  lots  " 
which  were  in  the  market,  bought  this  plot  of  land,  and 
at  once  utilized  it  to  his  profit.  It  was  of  some  note, 
as  we  read  in  a  book  published  in  Queen  Anne's  reign, 
"A    New    View  of  London,"    1708,  vol.   ii.  p.  785. 


n6  The  "Cold  Bath." 

"  Cold  Bath.  The  most  noted  and  first x  about  London 
was  that  near  Sir  John  Oldcastle's,  where,  in  the  Year 
1697,  Mr.  Bains  undertook  and  yet  manages  this  busi- 
ness of  Cold  Bathing,  which  they  say  is  good  against 
Rheumatisms,  Convulsions  of  the  Nerves,  &;c,  but  of 
that,  those  that  have  made  the  Experiments  are  the  best 
judges.  The  Rates  are  2s.  6d.  if  the  Chair  is  used,2 
and  2s.  without  it.  Hours  are  from  five  in  the  morning 
to  one,  afternoon." 

We  learn  two  things  from  this — the  pristine  exist- 
ence of  cc  tub,"  and  the  fact  that  it  was  purely  matutinal. 
Nay,  from  the  same  book  we  learn  more,  for,  under  the 
heading  of  cc  Southwark  Cold  Bath,"  we  find  that  the 
<c  utmost  time  to  be  in,  three  minutes."  At  this  latter 
places  were  "  ex  votos,"  so  frequently  seen  at  shrines  on 
the  Continent.  cc  Here  are  eleven  Crutches,  which 
they  say,  were  those  of  persons  cured  by  this  Water." 
Bathing  was  a  luxury  then — water  was  bought  by  the 
pailful,  and  a  warm  bath  at  the  Hummums  cost  5s., 
equal  to  between  10s.  and  15s.  of  our  money. 

Walter  Baynes,  Esq.,  of  the  Middle  Temple,  seems 
to  have  been  a  pushing  man  of  business,  and  willing  to 
make  the  most  of  his  property.     He  traded  on  the  un- 

1  Conduit. 

2  This,  I  take  it,  refers  to  a  practice  mentioned  in  a  pamphlet, 
"A  Step  to  the  Bath"  (London,  1700),  which  I  think  is  by  Ned 
Ward.  "  The  usual  time  being  come  to  forsake  that  fickle 
Element,  Half  Tub  Chairs,  Lin'd  with  Blankets,  Ply'd  as  thick  as 
Coaches  at  the  Play  House,  or  Carts  at  the  Custom  House"  It  has 
been  suggested  that  the  Chair  was  used  for  debilitated  patients  ; 
but,  knowing  the  use  ofthe  term  "Chair  "  at  that  epoch,  I  venture 
to  propose  my  solution. 


Cold  Bath, 


117 


cleanliness  of  the  times,  when  baths  were  mostly  used 
in  case  of  illness,  and  daily  ablution  of  the  whole  body 
was  unknown.  Ladies  were  quite  content  to  dab  their 
faces  with  some  f  c  fucus  "  or  face  wash,  or  else  smear 
them  with  a  greasy  larded  rag.  The  shock  of  a  veri- 
table cold   bath  from  a  spring,  must  have  astonished 


SOUTH    VIEW   OF   THE   COLD    BATHS. 


most  of  those  who  endured  it,  and  no  doubt  invested  it 
with  a  mysterious  merit  which  it  did  not  possess,  other- 
wise than  by  cleansing  the  skin,  both  by  the  washing, 
and  the  subsequent  rubbing  dry. 

However,  we  find    Mr.    Baynes  advertising  in    the 
Post    Boy,   March    28,    1700,   the    curative    effects   of 


1 1 8  Cold  Bath. 

his  wonderful  spring.  "  This  is  to  give  notice  that  the 
Cold  Baths  in  Sir  John  Oldcastle's  field  near  the  north 
end  of  Gray's  Inn  Lane,  London,  in  all  seasons  of  the 
year,  especially  in  the  spring  and  summer,  has  been 
found,  by  experience,  to  be  the  best  remedy  in  these 
following  distempers,  viz.,  Dizziness,  Drowsiness,  and 
heavy ness  of  the  head,  Lethargies,  Palsies,  Convulsions, 
all  Hectical  creeping  Fevers,  heats  and  flushings.  In- 
flammations and  ebullitions  of  the  blood,  and  spirits,  all 
vapours,  and  disorders  of  the  spleen  and  womb,  also 
stiffness  of  the  limbs,  and  Rheumatick  pains,  also 
shortness  of  the  breath,  weakness  of  the  joints,  as 
Rickets,  &c,  sore  eyes,  redness  of  the  face,  and  all  im- 
purities of  the  skin,  also  deafness,  ruptures,  dropsies, 
and  jaundice.  It  both  prevents  and  cures  colds,  creates 
appetite,  and  helps  digestion,  and  makes  hardy  the 
tenderest  constitution.  The  coach  way  is  by  Hockley 
in  the  Hole/' 

Of  course,  viewed  by  the  light  of  modern  medical 
science,  Mr.  Baynes  was  a  charlatan,  and  a  quack,  but 
he  acted,  doubtless,  according  to  his  lights,  in  those 
days ;  and,  if  a  few  were  killed,  it  is  probable  that 
many  more  were  benefited  by  being  washed. 

Sir  Richard  Steele,  writing  in  17 15,  says  thus  : 

"On  the  Cold  Bath  at  Oldcastle's." 
"  Hail,  sacred  Spring  !   Thou  ever-living  Stream, 
Ears  to  the  Deaf,  Supporters  to  the  Lame, 
Where  fair  Hygienia  ev'ry  morn  attends, 
And  with  kind  Waves,  her  gentle  Succour  lends. 
While  in  the  Cristal  Fountain  we  behold 
The  trembling  Limbs,  Enervate,  Pale  and  Cold  ; 
A  Rosy  Hue  she  on  the  face  bestows, 


Sir  John  Oldcastle.  1 19 

And  Nature  in  the  chilling  fluid  glows, 

The  Eyes  shoot  Fire,  first  kindled  in  the  Brain, 

As  beds  of  Lime  smoke  after  showers  of  Rain  ; 

The  fiery  Particles  concentred  there, 

Break  ope'  their  Prison  Doors  and  range  in  Air  ; 

Hail  then  thou  pow'rful  Goddess  that  presides 

O'er  these  cold  Baths  as  Neptune  o'er  his  Tides, 

Receive  what  Tribute  a  pure  Muse  can  pay 

For  Health  that  makes  the  Senses  Brisk  and  Gay, 

The  fairest  Offspring  of  the  heavenly  Ray." 

At  one  time  there  was  a  famous  house  of  refreshment 
and  recreation,  either  called  the  Cobham's  Head,  or  the 
Sir  John  Oldcastle — or  there  were  one  of  each.  Au- 
thorities differ,  and,  although  I  have  spent  some  time 
and  trouble  in  trying  to  reconcile  so-called  facts,  I  have 
come  to  the  conclusion  that,  for  my  reader's  sake,  le 
jeu  ne  vaut  pas  la  chandelle.  There  is  a  tradition  that 
Sir  John  Oldcastle  who  was  a  famous  Lollard  in  the 
time  of  Henry  V.,  either  had  an  estate  here,  or  hid  in 
a  house  of  entertainment  there,  during  his  persecution 
for  faith.     But  the  whole  is  hazy. 

We  know  that  there  was  a  Sir  John  Oldcastle,  who  was 
born  in  the  fourteenth  century,  and  who  was  the  fourth 
husband  of  Joan,  Lady  Cobham,  in  whose  right  he  took 
the  title  of  Lord  Cobham.  We  know  also,  that  he 
enjoyed  the  friendship  of  Henry  V.,  and  was  of  his 
household.  But  he  got  imbued  with  the  doctrines  of 
Wyclif,  was  cited  to  appear,  more  than  once,  before  the 
ecclesiastical  authorities,  declined  the  invitations,  and 
was  duly  excommunicated  He  wrangled  with  the 
priests,  got  committed  to  the  Tower,  escaped  and  hid 
in  Wales,  was  accused  of  heading  a  trumpery  insurrec- 


120  Archery. 

tion,  and  was,  finally,  captured,  tried,  and  hanged  in 
chains  alive,  upon  a  gallows  in  St.  Giles'  Fields,  when, 
fire  being  put  under  him,  he  was  slowly  roasted  to  death 
in  December,  141 7.  A  pious  nobleman,  like  the  late 
Lord  Shaftesbury,  for  instance,  was  not  popular  at  that 
time,  if  we  may  believe  a  few  lines  from  "  Wright's 
Political  Songs  from  Edward  II.  to  Henry  VI." 

"  Hit  is  unkindly  for  a  Knight 
That  shuld  a  kynges  castel  kepe, 
To  bable  the  Bible  day  and  night, 
In  restyng  time  when  he  shuld  slepe, 
And  carefoly  away  to  crepe  ; 
For  alle  the  chefe  of  chivalrie, 
Wei  ought  hym  to  wail  and  wepe, 
That  swyche  r  lust  is  in  Lollardie." 

The  English  were  always  famous  bowmen,  and 
archery — although  gunpowder  has  long  superseded  bows 
and  arrows  in  warfare — still  is  a  favourite  and  fashion- 
able pastime,  witness  the  Toxopholite  Society  in 
Regent's  Park,  and  the  various  Archery  association* 
throughout  the  kingdom  ;  so  that  it  is  not  remarkable 
that  an  open  space  like  Coldbath  Fields  should  vie 
with  the  Artillery  ground  at  Finsbury,  in  favour  with 
the  citizens,  as  a  place  for  this  sport ;  and  we  find,  in 
Queen  Anne's  reign,  that  the  Sir  John  Oldcastle  was 
frequented  by  Archers.  And  for  this  information  we 
may  thank  that  old  sinner,  John  Bagford  (who  spoilt  so 
many  books  for  the  sake  of  their  title-pages)  for  pre- 
serving.    It  tells  its  own  story  : — 2 

<c  All  gentlemen  of  the  ancient  and  noble  exercise  of 
1  Such  pleasure.  2  Harl.  MSS.,  5961. 


Tea  Gardens.  121 

Archery,  are  invited  to  the  annual  dinner  of  the  Clerken- 
well  Archers,  Mrs.  Mary  Barton's,  at  the  sign  of  Sir 
John  Oldcastle  (Cold  Bath  Fields)  on  Friday,  July  18, 
1707,  at  one  o'clock,  and  to  pay  the  bearer,  Thomas 
Beaumont,  Marshall,  2s.  6d.,  taking  a  sealed  ticket, 
that  a  certain  number  may  be  known,  and  provision 
made  accordingly.  Nath.  Axtall,  Esq.,  and  Edward 
Bromwich,  Gent.,  Stewards." 

There  were  very  pleasant  gardens  attached  to  this 
tavern,  and,  like  all  the  suburban  places  of  recreation, 
they  were  well  patronized,  and  they  gave  a  very  decent 
amusement  in  the  shape  of  music — instrumental  and 
vocal — and,  occasionally,  fireworks.  But  there  seems  to 
have  been  the  same  difficulty  then,  as  now,  as  to  keeping 
outdoor  amusements,  if  not  select,  at  least  decorous,  for, 
acccording  to  the  Daily  Advertisement  of  June  3,  1745, 
"  Sir  John  Oldcastle's  Gardens,  Cold  Bath  Fields.  This 
evening's  entertainment  will  continue  the  Summer 
Season.  The  Band  consists  of  the  best  masters.  Six- 
pence for  admission,  for  which  they  have  a  ticket,  which 
ticket  will  be  taken  as  sixpence  in  their  reckoning. 
Particular  care  will  be  taken  that  the  provisions  shall  be 
the  very  best  in  their  separate  kinds ;  likewise  to  keep  a 
just  decorum  in  the  gardens.  Note. — Several  ladies  and 
gentlemen  that  come  to  the  gardens  give  the  drawers 
their  tickets,  which  is  no  benefit  to  the  proprietor ; 
therefore  it's  humbly  desired  that  if  any  gentlemen  or 
ladies  don't  chuse  to  have  the  value  of  their  tickets  in 
liquor,  or  eating,  they  will  be  so  kind  as  to  leave  them 
at  the  bar." 


122 


Smallpox  Hospital. 


As  a  place  of  amusement,  it  seems,  even  in  1745,  to 
have  been  on  the  wane.  In  1758  the  Smallpox  Hospital 
was  built  close  to  it,  and  in  1761  the  Sir  John  Oldcastle 
was  bought  by  the  trustees  of  the  hospital,  in  order  to 
enlarge  it,  and  was  pulled  down  in  1762.  Noorthouck 
("New  History  of  London,"  ed.  1763,  p.  752), 
speaking  of  Cold  Bath  Square,  in  which  was  the  famed 
cold  bath,  says,  "The  North  side  of  this  square  is,  as 
yet,  open  to  the  fields,  but  a  little  to  the  east  stands  the 
Small  Pox  Hospital  for  receiving  patients  who  catch  the 
disease  in  the  natural  way  ;  and  is  a  very  plain,  neat 
structure.      The  Center,  which  projects  a  little  from  the 


South. 


Front 


THE   SMALLPOX    HOSPITAL    IN    COLD    LATH    FIELDS. 

rest  of  the  building,  is  terminated  on  the  top  by  an 
angular  pediment,  on  the  apex  of  which  is  placed  a  vase 
upon  a  small  pedestal.     This  excellent  chanty  was  in- 


The  Pantheon.  123 

stituted  in  the  year  1746,  and  is  supported  by  a  sub- 
scription of  noblemen,  gentlemen,  and  ladies,  who  were 
desirous  that  a  charity  useful  in  itself,  and  so  beneficial 
to  the  public,  might  be  begun  near  this  great  metropolis, 
there  not  being  any  hospital  of  the  kind  in  Europe.  A 
neat  hospital  for  inoculating  this  disorder  has  been  lately 
built  clear  of  the  town  on  the  north  side  of  the  New 
Road."1 

In  1 791  this  hospital  wanted  extensive  repairs,  which 
would  need  an  outlay  of  about  ^800  ;  and  the  trustees, 
not  willing  to  incur  this  expense,  built  another  on  the 
site  of  the  Inoculating  Hospital  at  Islington  ;  and  thither, 
when  it  was  finished,  all  the  patients  were  removed  from 
Cold  Bath  Fields.  But  their  new  home  was  wanted  for 
the  Great  Northern  Railway,  and  another  place  was  built, 
and  still  is,  on  Highgate  Hill.  The  old  building  in 
Cold  Bath  Fields  was  first  of  all  used  as  a  distillery,  and 
afterwards  subdivided. 

Quoting  again  from  Noorthouck  :  cc  Eastward  from 
the  Small  Pox  Hospital,  on  the  south  side  of  the  Spaw- 
field,  is  an  humble  imitation  of  the  Pantheon  in  Oxford 
Road  ;  calculated  for  the  amusement  of  a  suitable  class 
of  company ;  here  apprentices,  journeymen,  and  clerks 
dressed  to  ridiculous  extremes,  entertain  their  ladies  on 
Sundays ;     and    to  the    utmost  of  their  power,  if  not 

1  Noorthouck  (book  i.  p.  358)  says,  "It  is  to  be  observed  that  in 
1746,  an  hospital  was  founded  by  subscription  between  London  and 
Islington,  for  relieving  poor  people  afflicted  with  the  smallpox,  and 
for  inoculation.  This  is  said  to  be  the  first  foundation  of  the 
kind  in  Europe,  and  consisted  of  three  houses ;  one  in  Old  Street 
for  preparing  patients  for  inoculation  ;  another  in  Islington 
(Lower  Street)  "  when  the  disease  appeared,  and  the  third  in  Cold 
Bath  fields  for  patients  in  the  natural  way." 


124  The  Pantheon. 

beyond  their  proper  power,  affect  the  dissipated  manners 
of  their  superiors.  Bagnigge  Wells  and  the  White 
Conduit  House,  two  other  receptacles  of  the  same  kind, 
with  gardens  laid  out  in  miniature  taste,  are  to  be  found 
within  the  compass  of  two  or  three  fields,  together  with 
Sadler's  Wells,  a  small  theatre  for  the  summer  exhibition 
of  tumbling,  rope-dancing,  and  other  drolls,  in  vulgar 
stile.  The  tendency  of  these  cheap,  enticing  places  of 
pleasure  just  at  the  skirts  of  this  vast  town  is  too  ob- 
vious to  need  further  explanation ;  they  swarm  with 
loose  women,  and  with  boys,  whose  morals  are  thus 
depraved,  and  their  constitution  ruined,  before  they 
arrive  at  manhood ;  indeed,  the  licentious  resort  to  the 
tea- drinking  gardens  was  carried  to  such  excess  every 
night,  that  the  magistrates  lately  thought  proper  to 
suppress  the  organs  in  their  public  rooms." 

There  is  no  doubt  but  that  some  of  these  tea-gardens 
needed  reform  ;  so  much  so,  that  the  grand  jury  of 
Middlesex,  in  May,  1744,  made  a  presentment  of  several 
places  which,  in  their  opinion,  were  not  conducive  to 
the  public  morality  ;  and  these  were  two  gaming-houses 
near  Covent  Garden,  kept  by  the  ladies  Mordington  and 
Castle ;  Sadler'' s  Wells  near  the  New  River  head,  the 
New  Wells  in  Goodman's  Fields,  the  New  Wells  near 
the  London  Spaw  in  Clerkenwell ;  and  a  place  called 
Hallam's  Theatre  in  Mayfair. 

A  possibly  fair  account  of  these  gardens  is  found  in 
the  St.  James's  Chronicle,  May  14-16,  1772  : 

"  To  the  Printer  of  the  S.  J.  Chronicle. 
"Sir, — Happening  to  dine  last  Sunday  with  a  Friend 


The  Pantheon.  125 

in  the  City,  after  coming  from  Church,  the  Weather 
being  very  inviting,  we  took  a  walk  as  far  as  Islington. 
In  our  Return  home  towards  Cold  Bath  Fields,  we 
stepped  in,  out  of  mere  Curiosity,  to  view  the  Pantheon 
there ;  but  such  a  Scene  of  Disorder,  Riot,  and  Con- 
fusion presented  itself  to  me  on  my  Entrance,  that  I 
was  just  turning  on  my  Heel,  in  order  to  quit  it,  when 
my  friend  observing  to  me  that  we  might  as  well  have 
something  for  our  Money  (for  the  Doorkeeper  obliged 
each  of  us  to  deposit  a  Tester  before  he  granted  us 
Admittance),  I  acquiesced  in  his  Proposal,  and  became 
one  of  the  giddy  Multitude.  I  soon,  however,  repented 
of  my  Choice;  for,  besides  having  our  Sides  almost 
squeezed  together,  we  were  in  Danger  every  Minute  of 
being  scalded  by  the  Boiling  Water,  which  the  officious 
Mercuries  l  were  circulating  with  the  utmost  Expedition 
thro'  their  respective  Districts  :  We  began  therefore  to 
look  out  for  some  Place  to  sit  down  in,  which,  with  the 
greatest  Difficulty,  we  at  length  procured,  and,  pro- 
ducing our  Tickets,  were  served  with  Twelve  penny- 
worth of  Punch.  Being  seated  towards  the  Front  of 
one  of  the  Galleries,  I  had  now  a  better  Opportunity  of 
viewing  this  dissipated  Scene.  The  Male  Part  of  the 
Company  seemed  to  consist  chiefly  of  City  Apprentices, 
and  the  lower  Class  of  Tradesmen.  The  Ladies,  who 
constituted  by  far  the  greater  Part  of  the  Assembly, 
seemed,  most  of  them,  to  be  Pupils  of  the  Cyprian 
Goddess,  and  appeared  to  be  thoroughly  acquainted  with 
their  Profession,  the  different  Arts  and  Manoeuvres  of 
which  they  played  off  with  great  Freedom,  and  I  doubt 
1  See  p.  92. 


126  The   Pantheon. 

not  with  equal  Success.  Whatever  Quarter  I  turned  my 
Eyes  to,  I  was  sure  to  be  saluted  with  a  Nod,  a  Wink, 
or  a  Smile ;  and  was  even  sometimes  accosted  with, 
(  Pray,  Sir,  will  you  treat  me  with  a  Dish  of  Tea  ?  ' 
...  A  Bill,  I  think,  was  in  Agitation  this  Session  of 
Parliament  for  enforcing  the  Laws  already  made  for  the 
better  Observance  of  Sunday.  Nothing,  in  my  Opinion, 
tends  more  to  its  Profanation,  among  the  lower  Class  of 
People,  than  the  great  Number  of  Tea  Houses,  in  the 
Environs  of  London  ;  the  most  exceptionable  of  which 
that  I  have  had  Occasion  to  be  in,  is  the  Pantheon.  I 
could  wish  them  either  totally  suppressed  or  else  laid 
under  some  Restrictions,  particularly  on  the  Sabbath 
Day. 

"  I  am, 

"  Sir, 
"  Your  Constant  Reader, 

"  and  occasional  Correspondent, 
"  Cbiswicky  May  5.  Speculator." 

This  Pantheon  was  a  large  circular  building  sur- 
mounted by  a  statue  of  Fame.  It  was  well  warmed  by 
a  stove  in  its  centre,  and  the  grounds  were  prettily  laid 
out.  There  were  the  usual  walks,  flower-beds,  and  pond, 
in  the  centre  of  which  was  a  statue  of  Hercules,  and,  of 
course,  the  usual  out-of-door  refreshment  boxes,  or 
arbours.  But  it  is  just  possible  that  it  was  owing  to  its 
somewhat  disreputable  conduct  that  the  landlord  became 
bankrupt  in  1774,  and  the  Pantheon  was  offered  for 
sale.  It  was  closed  as  a  place  of  amusement  in  1776, 
and   the    famous   Countess    of  Huntingdon   had    some 


Lady  Huntingdon's  Chapel.  127 

idea  of  utilizing  it  for  the  propagation  of  her  peculiar 
religious  views.  However,  the  sum  necessary  for 
alterations,  proved  too  much  for  her  ladyship,  yet  by  a 
strange  mutation  of  fortune,  somewhat  akin  to  what  we 
have  seen  in  our  time,  in  the  Grecian  Theatre  in  the 
City  Road,  being  taken  by  the  Salvation  Army,  the 
Pantheon  was  turned  into  a  Proprietary  Chapel,  called 
Northampton  Chapel,  which  was  served  by  clergymen  of 
the  Church  of  England  of  strictly  Evangelical  principles, 
and  it  filled  so  well,  that  the  incumbent  of  the  parish 
church  asserted  his  right  to  preach  there  whenever  he 
liked,  and  also  to  nominate  its  chaplains.  This  the  pro- 
prietors did  not  quite  see,  and  they  closed  the  chapel. 
Then  Lady  Huntingdon  bought  it,  and,  henceforth,  it 
was  called  Spa  Fields  Chapel. 

The  illustration  :  is  taken  from  the  New  Spiritual 
Magazine,  and  I  do  not  think  that  an  uglier 
building  could  be  produced.  Probably  the  statue  of 
Fame  was  obliged  to  be  removed,  but  the  ventilator  in 
its  place  was  certainly  not  an  improvement.  However, 
it  is  now  pulled  down  ;  but,  before  its  demolition,  it  had 
to  pass  through  the  ordeal  of  more  proceedings  at  law. 
As  long  as  the  chapel  was  served  by  clergy,  nominally 
belonging  to  the  Church  of  England,  so  long  did  the 
incumbent  of  St.  James's,  Clerkenwell,  assert  his  right 
to  the  patronage  of  it.  The  Countess  relied  on  her 
privilege  as  a  peeress,  to  appoint  her  own  Chaplain,  but 
this  was  overridden  by  competent  legal  opinion,  and 
nothing  was  left  but  for  the  officiating  clergy  to  secede 
from  the   Church  of   England,  and  take   the  oath  of 

1  See  next  page. 


-111     /J.,*.  "'.!j;.i| 

: 


Lady  Huntingdon, 


129 


•allegiance  as  Dissenting  Ministers.  This  the  Countess 
did  not  relish  ;  she  would  fain  be  in  the  fold,  and  yet 
not  of  the  fold,  as  do  many  others  of  this  age,  but  she 
had  to  eat  the  leek.  She  had  the  proud  privilege  of 
founding  a  religious  sect,  and  she  left  the  bulk  of  her 
large  property,  after  very  generous  legacies,  to  .the  sup- 
port of  sixty-four  chapels  which  she  had  established 
throughout  the  kingdom.  She  died  at  her  house  in  Spa 
Fields,  and  was  buried  at  Ashby-de-la-Zouch,  in  Leices- 
tershire, "  dressed  in  the  suit  of  white  silk  which  she 
wore  at  the  opening  of  a  chapel  in  Goodman's  Fields."  J 

1   Gentlemaii's   Magazine,  vol.  lxi.  (1791),  p.  589.      The   Chapel 
was  pulled  down  in  January  or  February,  1887. 


IO 


CHAPTER   XL 


IT  is  almost  impossible  to  write  about  anything  con- 
nected with  Spa  Fields,  without  mentioning  the 
famous  "Spa  Fields  Riots/'  which  occurred  on  Dec.  2, 
1 8 16.  In  every  great  city  there  will  always  be  a  leaven 
of  disquietude  :  demagogues  who  have  nothing  to  lose, 
but  all  to  gain,  will  always  find  an  audience  for  their 
outpourings  ;  and,  often,  the  ignorant,  and  unthinking, 
have  only  to  be  told,  by  any  knave,  that  they  are  under- 
paid, downtrodden,  or  what  not,  and  they  are  ready  to 
yell,  with  their  sweet  breaths,  that  they  are.  So  was  it 
then  in  18  16. 

And  it  is  also  remarkable  how  history  repeats  itself; 
for,  part  of  the  scheme  proposed  by  the  agitators  on 
that  day,  was  exactly  similar  to  the  proposals  of  certain 
Irishmen  and  Socialists  of  our  time — teste  the  following 
hand-bill,  taken  from  the  Times,  the  newspaper  of 
Dec.   7,    1816. 

"  Spence's  Plan.  For  Parochial  Partnerships  in  the 
Land,  is  the  only  effectual  Remedy  for  the  Distresses 


132  The  Spencean  System. 

and  Oppression  of  the  People.  The  Landowners  are 
not  Proprietors  in  Chief;  they  are  but  the  Stewards  of 
the  Public;  For  the  Land  is  the  People's  Farm. 
The  Expenses  of  the  Government  do  not  cause  the 
Misery  that  surrounds  us,  but  the  enormous  exactions 
of  these  '  Unjust  Stewards'  Landed  Monopoly  is  in- 
deed equally  contrary  to  the  benign  spirit  of  Christianity, 
and  destructive  of  the  Independence  and  Morality  of 
Mankind. 

"  '  The  Profit  of  the  Earth  is  for  all.' 

"  Yet  how  deplorably  destitute  are  the  great  Mass  of 
the  People  !  Nor  is  it  possible  for  their  situations  to  be 
radically  amended,  but  by  the  establishment  of  a  system, 
founded  on  the  immutable  basis  of  Nature  and  Justice. 
Experience  demonstrates  its  necessity  and  the  rights  of 
mankind  require  it  for  their  preservation. 

"  To  obtain  this  important  object,  by  extending  the 
knowledge  of  the  above  system,  the  Society  of  Spencean 
Philanthropists  has  been  instituted.  Further  informa- 
tion of  it's  principles  may  be  obtained  by  attending  any 
of  it's  sectional  meetings,  where  subjects  are  discussed, 
calculated  to  enlighten  the  human  understanding,  and 
where,  also,  the  regulations  of  the  society  may  be  pro- 
cured, containing  a  Complete  development  of  the 
Spencean  system.  Every  individual  is  admitted  free  of 
expense,  who  will  conduct  himself  with  decorum. 

First  Section  every  Wednesday  at  the  Cock,  Grafton  Street,  Soho. 
Second     „  „      Thursday        „         MulberryTree,MulbcrryCt., 

Wilson  Street,  Moorfields. 
Third       „  „       Monday  „        Nag's  Head,  Carnaby  Mrkt. 

Fourth      ,.  „      Tuesday         „        No.    8,   Lumber  St.,    Mint, 

Borough." 


Orator  Hunt. 


l33 


There  !  does  not  that  read  exactly  like  a  modern  speech 
delivered  in  Trafalgar  Square,  Hyde  Park,  or  Dublin  ? 
Of  course  it  was  the  old  story  of  Demagogy.  The  pot 
boiled,  the  scum  came  to  the  top,  and  it  boiled  over, 
so  that,  one  fine  day,  there  was  a  riot.  It  was  a  period 
of  distress  for  the  working  classes,  who  did  not  then,  as 
now,  swarm  into  London  from  all  parts  of  England, 
and  expect  Jupiter  to  help  them  ;  but  then,  as  now,  the 
rich  were  ever  willing  to  help  their  poorer  brethren,  for, 
in  the  very  same  Times  newspaper  that  gives  an  account 
of  this  Spa  Fields  Riot,  there  is  a  list  of  subscriptions 
towards  the  relief  of  distress  in  Spitalfields  alone, 
amounting  to  over  £18,000. 

The  story  is  one  that  should  be  told,  because  it  has 
its  lesson  and  its  parallel  in  all  time.  The  ruling  spirit 
of  the  movement  was  Henry  Hunt,  generally  called 
Orator  Hunt,  a  man  fairly  well  to  do,  and  who  did  not 
agitate  for  the  sake  of  his  daily  bread.  The  occasion  of 
the  meeting  in  Spa  Fields,  at  which  some  10,000  people 
were  present,  was  to  receive  the  answer  of  the  Prince 
Regent  to  a  petition  from  the  distressed  mechanics  of 
London  and  its  vicinity  for  relief.  It  was  held  first  of 
all  in  front  of  the  "  Merlin's  Cave "  (a  name  which 
still  survives  at  131,  Rosomon  Street,  Clerkenwell),  and 
afterwards  in  the  adjacent  fields.  The  following  account 
of  the  riots  is  from  the  'Times  of  Dec.  3,  18 16  : 

"  As  a  prelude  to  the  scene  that  followed,  and  with  the 
spirit  of  the  ruling  demagogue,  a  person  mounted  a  coal 
waggon  with  three  flags,  on  which  were  inscribed  certain 
mottoes;  and,  after  having  harangued  a  small  audience, 


134  Orator  Hunt. 

draughted  off  from  the  general  body,  proceeded  to  the 
city,  where  the  acts  of  violence  were  perpetrated,  which 
will  be  found  in  another  part  of  our  paper. 

"  The  speech  of  this  orator,  and  the  conduct  of  his 
audience,  we  shall  give  in  an  extract  from  an  evening 
paper  as  we  were  not  present  at  the  first  part  of  the 
drama  ourselves. 

' "  c  In  the  field  was  a  Coal  waggon,  upon  which  were 
mounted  about  twenty  persons,  chiefly  in  the  dress  of 
sailors.  Several  flags  were  displayed  ;  two  tricoloured 
ones,  on  one  of  which  was  the  following  inscription  : 

"  'Nature,  Truth,  and  Justice  ! 
Feed  the  Hungry  ! 
Protect  the  Oppressed  ! 
Punish  Crimes  !  ' 

"  :  On  a  second  tricoloured  flag,  no  inscription. 
"  '  On  a  third  white  flag  was  inscribed  in  red  letters 
the  following : 

" '  The  brave  Soldiers  are  our  Brothers  ;  treat  them  kindly.' 

"  '  Many  had  bludgeons,  and  others  pockets  full  of 
stones.  One  person  in  the  waggon  then  addressed  the 
meeting  in  the  following  strain  : — "  I  am  sorry  to  tell 
you  that  our  application  to  the  Prince  has  failed.  He, 
the  father  of  his  people,  answered — '  My  family  have 
never  attended  to  Petitions  but  from  Oxford  and  Cam- 
bridge, and  the  City  of  London.'  And  is  this  Man  the 
father  of  the  people  ?  No.  Has  he  listened  to  your 
petition  ?     No.     The  day  is  come — (7/  is}  It  is,  from  the 


Orator  Hunt.  135 

mob.)  We  must  do  more  than  words.  We  have  been 
oppressed  for  800  years  since  the  Norman  Conquest. 
If  they  would  give  ye  a  hod,  a  shovel,  a  spade,  and  a 
hoe,  your  mother  earth  would  supply  you.  (Aye,  aye, 
she  would.  Loud  Applause.)  Country  men,  if  you  will 
have  your  wrongs  redressed,  follow  me.  {'That  we  will. 
Shouts.)  Wat  Tyler  would  have  succeeded  had  he  not 
been  basely  murdered  by  a  Lord  Mayor,  William  of 
Walworth.  Has  the  Parliament  done  their  duty  ?  No. 
Has  the  Regent  done  his  duty  ?  No,  no.  A  man  who 
receives  one  million  a  year  public  money  gives  only 
£5,000  to  the  poor.  They  have  neglected  the  starving 
people,  robbed  them  of  everything,  and  given  them  a 
penny.  Is  this  to  be  endured  ?  Four  millions  are  in 
distress  ;  our  brothers  in  Ireland  are  in  a  worse  state, 
the  climax  of  misery  is  complete,  it  can  go  no  farther. 
The  Ministers  have  not  granted  our  rights.  Shall  we 
take  them  ?  (Yes,  yes,  from  the  mob.)  Will  you 
demand  them  ?  (Yes,  yes.)  If  I  jump  down  will  you 
follow  me?      (Yes, yes,  was  again  vociferated.)." 

"  '  The  persons  on  the  waggon  then  descended  with 
the  flags ;  the  constables  immediately  laid  hold  of  the 
flags.  Some  persons  attempted  resistance,  and  two 
were  therefore  taken  up  forthwith,  and  sent  to  prison. 
The  constables  succeeded  in  getting  one  of  the  flags. 

"  '  When  the  second  flag  was  displayed,  it  was  sup- 
posed that  it  headed  Mr,  Hunt's  procession,  and  there 
was  a  loud  huzza,  which  stopped  one  of  the  waggon 
orators  for  five  minutes.' 

"  [For  all  the  rest  we  hold  ourselves  responsible,  as 
it  is  our  own  report  of  what  passed.]." 


136  Orator   Hunt. 

The  Times  then  gives  in  detail  a  report  of  the  meet- 
ing, commencing  from  the  arrival  of  cc  Orator  "  Hunt, 
who  read  the  correspondence  between  himself  and  Lord 
Sidmouth,  and  said  ;  "  The  statement  of  Lord  Sid- 
mouth  to  him  was,  that  neither  any  King  of  the  House 
of  Brunswick,  nor  the  Prince  Regent,  since  he  had 
attained  sovereign  power,  ever  gave  any  answer  to 
petitions  except  they  came  from  the  Corporation  of  the 
City  of  London,  or  from  the  two  Universities  which 
had  the  privilege  of  being  heard,  and  answered  from 
the  throne.  '  If  I  were  to  carry  your  present  petition 
to  the  levee  (added  his  lordship)  I  should  deliver  it  into 
his  Royal  Highness's  hand,  make  my  bow,  and  walk 
on  ;  and  if  you,  yourself,  Mr.  Hunt,  were  to  appear, 
you  would  do  just  the  same  thing  ;  you  would  deliver 
your  petition,  make  your  bow,  and  pass  on.'  This, 
Gentlemen,  is  a  little  more  about  Court  matters  than  I 
was  aware  of  before.  (Loud  laughter  and  applause.) 
The  meeting  had  the  consolation  to  think,  that,  if  their 
petition  was  not  answered  by  the  Prince  Regent,  it  had 
met  with  no  worse  fate  than  other  petitions  presented  to 
the  House  of  Hanover  since  the  accession  of  this 
family  to  the  throne.      (Applause.) 

<c  He  expected  to  have  seen  this  day  a  deputation 
from  the  Soup  Committee,  for  the  purpose  of  returning 
thanks  to  this  meeting  for  obtaining  the  ^5,000  which 
the  Prince  Regent  had  granted.  (Great  applause.)  He 
was  convinced  that  it  was  owing  to  the  exertions  and 
patriotism  of  the  last  assembly  in  those  fields  that  his 
Royal  Highness  was  induced  to  give  this  pittance  :  but 
his  Royal  Highness  had  not  gone  the  full  length  of  the 


Riot  in   the  City.  137 

requests  which  had  then  been  made.  It  was  required 
that  he  should  bestow  on  the  inhabitants  of  the 
metropolis  £2  or  300,000  out  of  the  Civil  List ;  but, 
instead  of  this,  what  had  been  done  ?  Some  enemy  to 
his  country,  some  corrupt  minister  had  persuaded  his 
Royal  Highness  to  send  £5000  out  of  the  Droits  of 
the  Admiralty,  which  properly  belonged  to  the  sailors  : 
those  droits,  the  piratical  seizing  of  which  had  caused 
so  much  bloodshed,  and  the  loss  of  so  many  British 
lives." 

This  was  the  sort  of  fustian  that  was  talked  then,  as 
now,  and  probably  always  will  be,  to  an  ignorant  mob ; 
and,  as  a  natural  sequence,  words  begot  actions.  Blind — 
foolishly  blind — the  idiotic  mob  marched  towards  the 
City,  not  knowing  why,  or  what  advantage  they  were 
to  gain  by  so  doing.  Naturally,  there  were  thieves 
about,  and  they  plundered  the  shop  of  Mr.  Beckwith,  a 
gunmaker,  in  Skinner  Street,  Snow  Hill,  shooting  a 
gentleman,  named  Piatt,  who  happened  to  be  in  the 
shop,  at  the  time. 

At  the  Royal  Exchange>  the  Lord  Mayor,  Sir  James 
Shaw,  with  his  own  hands,  seized  a  man,  who  was 
bearing  a  flag,  and  the  mob,  unable  to  force  the  gates, 
fired  inside;  but  as  far  as  I  can  learn,  without  effect. 
Foiled  in  the  attempt  to  sack,  or  destroy  the  Exchange, 
by  the  arrival  of  some  civil  force  to  the  assistance  of 
his  Lordship,  they  moved  on,  seemingly  aimlessly, 
towards  the  Tower :  why — unless  it  was  to  supply 
themselves  with  arms — no  one  can  guess.  Of  course, 
if  they  had  tried  to  take  it,  they  could  not  have  accom- 


138  Riots. 

plished  their  purpose,  but  it  never  came  to  that.  They 
stole  a  few  guns  from  two  gunmakers  in  the  Minories, 
Messrs.  Brander  and  Rea;  and  then  this  gathering  of 
rogues  and  fools  dispersed,  and  the  nine  days'  wonder 
was  over. 

As  usual,  nothing  was  gained  by  violence.  Socialism 
certainly  did  not  advance — nor  was  any  more  employ- 
ment found  for  anybody — and  the  thing  fizzled  out. 
But  it  was  not  the  fault  of  the  agitators.  Let  us  read 
a  short  extract  from  a  leading  article  in  the  'Times  of 
December  4,  18  16: — 

"As  to  the  foreseeing  what  was  to  happen — have  we 
forgotten  Mr.  Hunt's  advice  on  the  first  day  to  petition, 
then,  if  that  failed  to  resort  to  physical  force.  They 
did  petition,  and  he  calls  them  together  to  tell  them  that 
their  petition  has  failed  ;  and  yet  it  is  to  be  supposed 
that  he  foresees  on  their  part  no  resort  to  physical  force  ! 
Why!  this  would  be  trifling  with  the  understanding  of 
an  infant.  But  the  second  time  Mr.  Hunt  said  nothing 
about  physical  force !  Oh,  no.  Whilst  the  bloody 
business  was  in  hand  by  his  myrmidons  in  Newgate 
Street,  and  at  the  Royal  Exchange — whilst  an  innocent 
gentleman  was  in  the  hands  of  his  assassins — whilst  the 
life  of  the  Chief  Magistrate  of  the  city  was  attacked 
by  ruffians,  the  first  inciter  to  the  use  of  physical  force 
was  coolly  haranguing  on  the  comparative  merits  of 
himself  and  his  hunter,  in  Spa  Fields.  What !  did 
anybody  expect  that  he  would  get  up,  and  accuse 
himself  openly  of  high  treason  ?  Did  Catiline,  in 
the     Roman    Senate,    avow    his    parricidal     intentions 


End    of  Riots. 


39 


against  his  country  ?  But,  to  quit  Mr.  Hunt  for 
awhile,  let  us  recall  to  the  recollection  of  our  readers, 
the  incendiary  handbills  thrust  under  the  doors  of 
public  houses,  several  weeks  ago.  A  copy  of  one  of 
them  was  inserted  in  our  paper  of  the  ist  of  last 
month ;  but,  at  the  time  it  did  not  command  that 
attention  which  its  real  importance  perhaps  deserved. 
It  was  of  the  following  tenour  : — '  Britons  to  arms  ! 
Break  open  all  gun  and  sword  shops,  pawnbrokers,  and 
other  likely  places  to  find  arms.  No  rise  of  bread,  &c. 
No  Castlereagh.  Off  with  his  head.  No  National 
Debt.  The  whole  country  waits  the  signal  from  London 
to  fly  to  arms.  Stand  firm  now  or  never. — N.B.  Printed 
bills  containing  further  directions,  will  be  circulated  as 
soon  as  possible.'  " 

I  have  dwelt  thus  at  length  on  these  Spa  Fields  riots 
because  the  Socialistic  and  Communistic  development 
therein  contained,  runs  fairly  parallel  with  our  own 
times ;  and  it  is  comforting  to  know,  that  in  this  case, 
as  in  all  others  in  England,  the  movement  was  purely 
evanescent ;  the  love  of  law  and  order  being  too  deeply 
seated  in  the  breasts  of  Englishmen.  Nay,  in  this 
case,  the  butchers  from  the  shambles  in  Whitechapel 
attacked  the  mob,  and  compelled  them  to  give  up  their 
arms,  "  which  the  butchers  express  a  wish  to  retain,  as 
trophies  and  proofs  of  their  loyalty  and  courage." 
Hunt  fizzled  out,  and  returned  to  his  previous  non- 
entity. 


CHAPTER  XII 


STILL  continuing  the  downward  course  of  the 
Fleet,  an  historical  place  is  reached,  "  Hockley- 
in-the-Hole,"  or  Hollow,  so  famous  for  its 
rough  sports  of  bear  baiting  and  sword  and  cudgel 
playing.  The  combative  nature  of  an  Englishman 
is  curious,  but  it  is  inbred  in  him  ;  sometimes  it 
takes  the  form  of  "  writing  to  the  papers,"  some- 
times of  going  to  law,  sometimes  of  "  punching " 
somebody's  head ;  in  many  it  ends  in  a  stubborn  fight 
against  difficulties  to  be  overcome  —  but,  anyhow,  I  can- 
not deny  that  an  Englishman  is  pugnacious  by  nature. 
Hear  what  Misson,  an  intelligent  French  traveller,  who 
visited  England  in  the  reign  of  William  III.,  says: 
"  Anything  that  looks  like  fighting  is  delicious  to  an 
Englishman.  If  two  little  Boys  quarrel  in  the  Street, 
the  Passengers  stop,  make  a  Ring  round  them  in  a 
Moment,  and  set  them  against  one  another,  that  they 
may  come  to  Fisticuffs.  When  'tis  come  to  a  Fight, 
each  pulls  off  his  Neckcloth  and  his  Waistcoat,  and 


142  Fighting. 

give  them  to  hold  to  some  of  the  Standers  by  :  then 
they  begin  to  brandish  their  Fists  in  the  Air  ;  the 
Blows  are  aim'd  all  at  the  Face,  they  Kick  at  one 
another's  Shins,  they  tug  one  another  by  the  Hair,  &c. 
He  that  has  got  the  other  down  may  give  him  one 
Blow  or  two  before  he  rises,  but  no  more ;  and,  let  the 
Boy  get  up  ever  so  often,  the  other  is  obliged  to  box 
him  again  as  often  as  he  requires  it.  During  the  Fight, 
the  Ring  of  Bystanders  encourage  the  Combatants  with 
great  Delight  of  Heart,  and  never  part  them  while 
they  fight  according  to  the  Rules.  The  Father  and 
Mother  of  the  Boys  let  them  fight  on  as  well  as  the  rest, 
and  hearten  him  that  gives  Ground,  or  has  the  Worst." 
This  was  about  1700;  and,  if  it  was  so  in  the  green 
tree  (or  boy),  what  would  it  be  in  the  dry  (or  man)  ? 
I  am  afraid  our  ancestors  were  not  over-refined.  They 
did  not  all  cram  for  examinations,  and  there  were  no 
Girton  girls  in  those  days,  neither  had  they  analytical 
novels :  so  that,  to  a  certain  extent,  we  must  make 
allowances  for  them.  Tea  and  coffee  were  hardly  in 
use  for  breakfast,  and  men  and  women  had  a  certain 
amount  of  faith  in  beer  and  beef,  which  may  have  had 
something  to  do  in  forming  their  tastes.  Anyhow,  the 
men  were  manly,  and  the  women  not  a  whit  worse  than 
they  are  now  ;  and  woe  be  to  the  man  that  insulted 
one.  A  code  of  honour  was  then  in  existence,  and 
every  gentleman  carried  with  him  the  means  of  enforcing 
it.  Therefore,  up  to  a  certain  limit,  they  were  com- 
bative, and  not  being  cigarette-smoking  mashers,  and 
not  being  overburdened  with  novels  and  periodicals, 
and  club  smoking  and  billiard  rooms  being  unknown, 


HOCKLEY-IN-THE-HOLE.  143 

they  enjoyed  a  more  physical  existence  than  is  led  by 
the  young  men  of  the  theatrical  stalls  of  the  present 
day,  and  attended  Sword  and  Cudgel  playing,  and  Bull 
and  Bear  baiting,  together  with  lighting  an  occasional 
main  of  Cocks.  It  might  be  very  wrong  ;  but  then 
they  had  not  our  advantages  of  being  able  to  criticize 
the  almost  unhidden  charms  of  the  "  chorus,"  or  descant 
on  the  merits  of  a  "  lemon  squash,"  so  that,  as  man 
must  have  some  employment,  they  acted  after  their 
lights,  and  I  do  not  think  we  can  fairly  blame  them. 

For  Londoners,  a  favourite  place,  early  in  the 
eighteenth  century,  for  rough  sports,  was  Hockley-in- 
the-Hole.  Here  was  bear  and  bull  baiting  for  the 
public,  a  fact  that  was  so  well  known,  according  to 
Gay,1  that 

"Experienc'd  Men,  inur'd  to  City  Ways, 
Need  not  the  Calendar  to  count  their  Days. 
When  through  the  Town,  with  slow  and  solemn  Air, 
Led  by  the  Nostril  walks  the  muzzled  Bear  ; 
Behind  him  moves,  majestically  dull, 
The  Pride  of  Hockley  Hole,  the  surly  Bull  ; 
Learn  hence  the  Periods  of  the  Week  to  name, 
Mondays  and  Thursdays  are  the  Days  of  Game." 

Even  earlier  than  Gay,  Hockley-in-the-Hole  is 
mentioned  by  Butler  in  his  "  Hudibras  "  2  in  somewhat 
gruesome  fashion  : — 

"But  Trulla  straight  brought  on  the  Charge, 
And  in  the  selfsame  Limbo  put 
The  Knight  and  Squire,  where  he  was  shut, 
Where  leaving  them  in  Hockley-i'-th'-Hole, 
Their  Bangs  and  Durance  to  condole." 

1  "Trivia,"  book  ii.  2  Book  iii.  line  i.cco,  &c. 


I44  Bear  Baiting. 

But  Butler  also  talks  of  Bear  baiting,  both  in  the 
first  and  second  cantos  of  "  Hudibras,"  especially  in 
canto  the  first,  where,  beginning  at  line  6*/$,  he  says: 


But  now  a  Sport  more  formidable 

Had  rak'd  together  Village  Rabble  : 

'Twas  an  old  Way  of  recreating — 

Which  learned  Butchers  call  Beai-Baitin< 

A  bold  advent'rous  Exercise, 

With  ancient  Heroes  in  high  Prize  5 

For  Authors  do  affirm  it  came 

From  Isthmian  or  Nemean  Game  ; 

Others  derive  it  from  the  Bear 

That's  fix'd  in  Northern  Hemisphere, 

And  round  about  the  Pole  does  make 

A  Circle  like  a  Bear  at  Stake. 

That  at  the  Chain's  End  wheels  about, 

And  overturns  the  Rabble  Rout. 

For,  after  solemn  Proclamation 

In  the  Bear's  Name  (as  is  the  Fashion 

According  to  the  Law  of  Arms, 

To  keep  men  from  inglorious  Harms) 

That  none  presume  to  come  so  near 

As  forty  Foot  of  Stake  of  Bear  ; 

If  any  yet  be  so  foolhardy 

T'  expose  themselves  to  vain  Jeopardy  5 

If  they  come  wounded  off,  and  lame, 

No  honour's  got  by  such  a  Maim  ; 

Altho'  the  Bear  gain  much  ;   b'ing  bound 

In  Honour  to  make  good  his  Ground, 

When  he's  engag'd  and  takes  no  Notice, 

If  any  press  upon  him,  who  'tis, 

But  let's  them  know,  at  their  own  Cost, 

That  he  intends  to  keep  his  Post." 


Bear  baiting  was    so   identified,    as  a   sport,   to  the 


Bear   Gardens. 


H5 


London  Citizens  who  frequented  Hockley- in-the-Hole, 
that  we  read  that  in  1709  Christopher  Preston,  who 
then  kept  the  Bear  Garden,  was  attacked  and  partly 
eaten  by  one  of  his  own  bears. 

Bear  Gardens  are  proverbially  rough,  and  this  place 
was  no  exception  ;  but  there  were  two  others  in  London 
where  bears  were  baited,  one  at  Marrybone  Fields  (at 
the  back  of  Soho  Square),  and  at  Tuttle  or  Tothill 
Fields,  at  Westminster — thus  showing  the  popularity  of 
the  Sports,  which  was  not  declared  illegal  until  1835. 

Of  course  in  these  our  days,  we  know  nothing  of 
bear  baiting,  and  if  a  Pyrenean  bear  were  now  taken 
about  the  country,  as  I  have  frequently  seen  them,  even 
if  he  "  danced  to  the  genteelest  of  tunes,"  his  proprietor 
would  be  in  danger  of  the  judgment — some  dear  molly- 
coddling old  woman  in  trousers,  belonging  to  some 
special  "faddy"  society,  being  always  ready  to  pro- 
secute. 

Bears  not,  at  present,  being  indigenous  to  Britain, 
were  naturally  scarce,  so  the  homely  and  offensive  Bull 
had  to  afford  rough  sport  to  the  multitude,  and  several 
towns  now  bear  testimony  to  the  popularity  of  the  sport 
of  bull  baiting  in  their  "  Bull  rings"  (Birmingham,  to 
wit).  In  the  fourteenth  century  we  know  that  even  horses 
were  baited  with  dogs,  and  as  long  as  fox  hunting, 
coursing,  or  wild  stag  hunting,  are  recognized  as  sports 
among  us,  I  fail  to  see  the  superior  cruelty  of  our 
ancestors.  It  may  be  that  people  imagine  that  the 
larger  the  animal,  the  greater  the  cruelty ;  but  I  cannot 
see  it.  Anyhow,  far  earlier  than  the  Bear  garden  of 
Hockley-in-the-Hole,  both  bear  and  bull  baiting  were 

11 


146  Bear  Baiting. 

not  only  popular,  but  aristocratic  amusements.  Erasmus, 
who  visited  England  in  Henry  VIII. 's  time,  speaks  oi 
many  herds  of  bears  being  kept  for  baiting  ;  and  when 
Queen  Mary  visited  her  sister  the  Princess  Elizabeth, 
they  were  "  right  well  content "  with  the  bear  baiting. 
Nay,  when  she  became  Queen,  Elizabeth  was  a  great 
patron  of  the  sport ;  for  when,  on  May  25,  1559,  sne 
entertained  the  French  Ambassadors,  as  an  after-dinner 
spectacle;  she  gave  them  some  bull  and  bear  baiting. 
Her  delight  in  this  diversion  did  not  decrease  with  age, 
for,  twenty-seven  years  later,  she  provided  the  same 
amusement  for  the  delectation  of  the  Danish  Ambas- 
sador. Paul  Hentzner,  who  visited  England  in  1598, 
speaking  of  this  sport,  says: — "There  is  still  another 
Place,  built  in  the  Form  of  a  Theatre,  which  serves  for 
the  baiting  of  Bulls  and  Bears ;  they  are  fastened 
behind,  and  then  worried  by  the  great  English  Bull 
dogs ;  but  not  without  great  Risque  to  the  Dogs,  from 
the  Horns  of  the  one,  and  the  Teeth  of  the  other ;  and 
it  sometimes  happens  they  are  killed  upon  the  Spot; 
fresh  ones  are  immediately  supplied  in  the  Place  of 
those  that  are  wounded,  or  tired.  To  this  Entertain- 
ment there  often  follows  that  of  whipping  a  blinded 
Bear,  which  is  performed  by  five  or  six  Men  standing 
circularly  with  Whips,  which  they  exercise  upon  him 
without  any  Mercy,  as  he  cannot  escape  from  them 
because  of  his  Chain ;  he  defends  himself  with  all  his 
Force  and  Skill,  throwing  down  all  who  come  within 
his  Reach,  and  are  not  active  enough  to  get  out  of  it, 
and  tearing  the  Whips  out  of  their  Hands,  and  break- 
ing them." 


Bull   Baiting.  147 

And,  again  are  we  indebted  to  a  foreigner  for  a  de- 
scription of  a  bull  baiting,  thus  realizing  Burns'  aspiration 
seeing  cf  oursen  as  others  see  us,"  vide  Misson. 

"  Here  follows  the  Manner  of  those  Bull  Baitings 
which  are  so  much  talk'd  of:  They  tie  a  Rope  to  the  Root 
of  the  Ox  or  Bull,  and  fasten  the  other  End  of  the  Cord 
to  an  Iron  Ring  flx'd  to  a  Stake  driven  into  the  Ground  ; 
so  that  this  Cord  being  15  Foot  long,  the  Bull  is  con- 
fin'd  to  a  Sphere  of  about  30  Foot  Diameter.  Several 
Butchers,  or  other  Gentlemen,  that  are  desirous  to  exer- 
cise their  Dogs,  stand  round  about,  each  holding  his 
own  by  the  Ears ;  and,  when  the  Sport  begins,  they  let 
loose  one  of  the  Dogs  ;  The  Dog  runs  at  the  Bull  :  the 
Bull  immovable,  looks  down  upon  the  Dog  with  an  Eye 
of  Scorn,  and  only  turns  a  Horn  to  him  to  hinder  him 
from  coming  near :  the  Dog  is  not  daunted  at  this,  he 
runs  round  him,  and  tries  to  get  beneath  his  Belly,  in 
order  to  seize  him  by  the  Muzzle,  or  the  Dew  lap,  or  the 
pendant  Glands :  The  Bull  then  puts  himself  into  a 
Posture  of  Defence ;  he  beats  the  Ground  with  his  Feet, 
which  he  joins  together  as  close  as  possible,  and  his  chief 
Aim  is  not  to  gore  the  Dog  with  the  Point  of  his  Horn, 
but  to  slide  one  of  them  under  the  Dog's  Belly  (who 
creeps  close  to  the  Ground  to  hinder  it)  and  to  throw 
him  so  high  in  the  Air  that  he  may  break  his  Neck  in 
the  Fall.  This  often  happens :  When  the  Dog  thinks 
he  is  sure  of  fixing  his  Teeth,  a  turn  of  the  Horn,  which 
seems  to  be  done  with  all  the  Negligence  in  the  World, 
gives  him  a  Sprawl  thirty  Foot  high,  and  puts  him  in 
danger  of  a  damnable  Squelch  when  he  comes  down. 
This  danger  would  be  unavoidable,  if  the  Dog's  Friends 


148  Bull   Baiting. 

were  not  ready  beneath  him,  some  with  their  Backs  to 
give  him  a  soft  Reception,  and  others  with  long  Poles 
which  they  offer  him  slant  ways,  to  the  Intent  that, 
sliding  down  them,  it  may  break  the  Force  of  his  Fall. 
Notwithstanding  all  this  care,  a  Toss  generally  makes 
him  sing  to  a  very  scurvy  Tune,  and  draw  his  Phiz 
into  a  pitiful  Grimace  :  But,  unless  he  is  totally  stunn'd 
with  the  Fall,  he  is  sure  to  crawl  again  towards  the  Bull, 
with  his  old  Antipathy,  come  on't  what  will.  Some- 
times a  second  Frisk  into  the  Air  disables  him  for  ever 
from  playing  his  old  Tricks ;  But,  sometimes,  too,  he 
fastens  upon  his  Enemy,  and  when  he  has  seiz'd  him 
with  his  Eye  teeth,  he  sticks  to  him  like  a  Leech,  and 
would  sooner  die  than  leave  his  Hold.  Then  the  Bull 
bellows,  and  bounds,  and  Kicks  about  to  shake  off  the 
Dog ;  by  his  Leaping  the  Dog  seems  to  be  no  Manner 
of  Weight  to  him,  tho  in  all  Appearance  he  puts  him  to 
great  Pain.  In  the  End,  either  the  Dog  tears  out  the 
Piece  he  has  laid  Hold  on,  and  falls,  or  else  remains 
flx'd  to  him,  with  an  Obstinacy  that  would  never  end, 
if  they  did  not  pull  him  off.  To  call  him  away,  would 
be  in  vain ;  to  give  him  a  hundred  blows  would  be  as 
much  so ;  you  might  cut  him  to  Pieces  Joint  by  Joint 
before  he  would  let  him  loose.  What  is  to  be  done 
then  ?  While  some  hold  the  Bull,  others  thrust  Staves 
into  the  Dog's  Mouth,  and  open  it  by  main  Force. 
This  is  the  only  Way  to  part  them." 

But  the  dogs  did  not  always  get  the  best  of  it — many 
a  one  was  gored  and  killed  by  the  bull.  Cruelty,  how- 
ever, would  scarcely  rest  content  with  simple  bull  baiting. 
It  was    improved    upon,  as  we    see    in    the    following 


Bull   Baiting.  149 

advertisement.  cc  At  the  Bear  Garden  in  Hockley  in 
the  Hole,  17 10.  This  is  to  give  notice  to  all  Gentle- 
men, Gamsters,  and  Others,  That  on  this  present  Mon- 
day is  a  Match  to  be  fought  by  two  Dogs,  one  from 
Newgate  Market  against  one  of  Honey  Lane  Market,  at 
a  Bull,  for  a  Guinea  to  be  spent.  Five  Let  goes  out 
off  Hand,  which  goes  fairest  and  farthest  in,  Wins  all ; 
like  wise  a  Green  Bull  to  be  baited,  which  was  never 
baited  before,  and  a  Bull  to  be  turned  loose  with  Fire 
works  all  over  him ;  also  a  Mad  Ass  to  be  baited ; 
With  variety  of  Bull  baiting,  and  Bear  baiting  ;  and  a 
Dog  to  be  drawn  up  with  Fire  works."  l 

I  cannot,  however,  consider  this  as  an  ordinary  pro- 
gramme, and  it  was  evidently  so  considered  at  the  time  ; 
for  a  book  was  advertised  in  the  Tatler,  January  3-5, 
1 709  ( 1 7 10) : — c<  This  Day  is  published  The  Bull  Baiting 

or  Sach ll2  dressed  up  in  Fire  works  ;   lately  brought 

over  from  the  Bear  Garden  in  Southwark,  and  exposed 
for  the  Diversion  of  the  Citizens  of  London :  at  6d.  a 
piece/'  But  Steele  in  No.  cxxxiv.  of  the  Tatler,  con- 
demns the  cruelty  of  the  age,  and  says  he  has  "  often 
wondered  that  we  do  not  lay  aside  a  custom  which 
makes  us  appear  barbarous  to  nations  much  more  rude 
and  unpolished  than  ourselves.  Some  French  writers 
have  represented  this  diversion  of  the  common  people 
much  to  our  disadvantage,  and  imputed  it  to  natural 
fierceness  and  cruelty  of  temper,  as  they  do  some  other 
entertainments  peculiar  to  our  nation:  I  mean  those 
elegant  diversions  of  bull  baiting  and  prize  fighting, 
with  the  like  ingenious  recreations  of  the  Bear-garden. 

1  Harl.  MSS.  5931,  46.  2  Dr.  Sacheverell. 


150  Bull  Baiting. 

I  wish  I  knew  how  to  answer  this  reproach  which  is  cast 
upon  us,  and  excuse  the  death  of  so  many  innocent 
cocks,  bulls,  dogs,  and  bears,  as  have  been  set  together 
by  the  ears,  or  died  untimely  deaths,  only  to  make  us 
sport." 

Of  all  the  places  where  these  cruel  pastimes  were 
practised,  certainly  Hockley-in-the-Hole,  bore  off  the 
palm  for  blackguardism  ;  and  it  is  thus  mentioned  in  an 
essay  of  Steele's  in  the  Hatler  (No.  xxviii.),  "I  have  myself 
seen  Prince  Eugene  make  Catinat  fly  from  the  backside 
of  Grays  Inn  Lane  to  Hockley-in-the-Hole,  and  not 
give  over  the  pursuit,  until  obliged  to  leave  the  Bear 
Garden,  on  the  right,  to  avoid  being  borne  down  by 
fencers,  wild  bulls,  and  monsters,  too  terrible  for  the 
encounter  of  any  heroes,  but  such  as  their  lives  are  live- 
lihood." To  this  mention  of  Hockley-in  the-Hole, 
there  is,  in  an  edition  of  1789,  a  footnote  (p.  274), 
<c  There  was  a  sort  of  amphitheatre  here,  dedicated 
originally  to  bull-baiting,  bear-baiting,  prize  fighting, 
and  all  other  sorts  of  rough-game ;  and  it  was  not  only 
attended  by  butchers,  drovers,  and  great  crowds  of  all 
sorts  of  mobs,  but  likewise  by  Dukes,  Lords,  Knights, 
Squires,  &c.  There  were  seats  particularly  set  apart  for 
the  quality,  ornamented  with  old  tapestry  hangings,  into 
which  none  were  admitted  under  half  a  crown  at  least. 
Its  neighbourhood  was  famous  for  sheltering  thieves,  pick- 
pockets, and  infamous  women ;  and  for  breeding  bull- 
dogs." 

Bull  baiting  died  hard,  and  in  one  famous  debate  in 
the  House  of  Commons,  on  24th  of  May,  1802,  much 
eloquence  was  wasted  on  the  subject,  both  pro.  and  con.> 


Sword  Play. 


5i 


one  hon.  gentleman  (the  Right  Hon.  W.  Windham, 
M.P.  for  Norwich),  even  trying  to  prove  that  the  bull 
enjoyed  the  baiting.  Said  he, cc  It  would  be  ridiculous  to 
say  he  felt  no  pain  ;  yet,  when  on  such  occasions  he  ex- 
hibited no  signs  of  terror,  it  was  a  demonstrable  proof 
that  he  felt  some  pleasure."  Other  hon.  gentlemen  de- 
fended it  on  various  grounds,  and,  although  Wilberforce 
and  Sheridan  spoke  eloquently  in  favour  of  the  abolition 
of  the  practice,  they  were  beaten,  on  a  division,  by  which 
decision  Parliament  inflicted  a  standing  disgrace,  for 
many  years,  upon  the  English  Nation. 

Hockley-in-the-Hole  was  not  only  the  temple  of  S.  S. 
Taurus  et  Canis ;  but  the  genus  Homo,  type  gladiator ', 
was  there  in  his  glory.  It  was  there  that  sword  play 
was  best  shown,  but  we  do  not  hear  much  of  it  before 
William  the  Third,  or  Anne's  reign,  or  that  of  George 
I.,  when  the  redoubtable  Figg  was  the  Champion  swords- 
man of  England.  As  Hockley-in-the-Hole  belongs  to 
the  Fleet  River,  so  do  these  gladiatorial  exhibitions 
belong  to  Hockley-in-the-Hole.  J  have  treated  of 
them  once,1  and  on  looking  back,  with  the  knowledge 
that  many  of  my  readers  may  not  have  seen  that  book, 
and  having  nothing  better  in  the  space  allotted  to  this 
peculiar  spot,  to  offer  them  (for  I  then  drew  my  best 
on  the  subject)  I  quote,  with  apologies,  from  myself. 

"  In  those  days,  when  every  one  with  any  pretensions 
to  gentility  wore  a  sword,  and  duelling  was  rife,  it  is 
no  wonder  that  exhibitions  of  skill  in  that  weapon  were 
favourites.       Like  modern  prize  fights,  they  drew  to- 

1  "  Social  Life  in  the  Reign  of  Queen  Anne,"  by  John  Ashton 
(Chatto  and  Windus). 


152  Sword  Play. 

gether  all  the  scum  and  riff-raff,  as  well  as  the  gentry, 
who  were  fond  of  so-called  sport.  They  were  dis- 
reputable affairs,  and  were  decried  by  every  class  of 
contemporary.  The  preliminaries  were  swagger  and 
bounce,  as  one  or  two  out  of  a  very  large  number  will 
show.1 

"  '  At  the  Bear  Garden  in  Hockley-in-the-Hole. 

'c  *  A  Tryal  of  Skill  to  be  Performed  between  two 
Profound  Masters  of  the  Noble  Science  of  Defence  on 
Wednesday  next,  being  this  13th  of  the  instant  July, 
1709,  at  Two  of  the  Clock  precisely. 

"  '  I,  George  Gray,  born  in  the  City  of  Norwich,  who 
has  Fought  in  most  Parts  of  the  West  Indies,  viz., 
Jamaica,  Barbadoes,  and  several  other  Parts  of  the 
World;  in  all  Twenty-five  times,  upon  a  Stage,  and 
was  never  yet  Worsted,  and  now  lately  come  to  London  , 
do  invite  James  Harris,  to  meet  and  Exercise  at  these 
following  Weapons,  viz.  : 


Back  Sword, 
Sword  and  Dagger ', 
Sword  and  Buckler, 


Single  Falchon 

and 
Case  of  Falchons* 


"  *  I,  James  Harris,  Master  of  the  said  Noble  Science 
of  Defence,  who  formerly  rid  in  the  Horse  Guards,  and 
hath  Fought  a  Hundred  and  Ten  Prizes,  and  never 
left  a  Stage  to  any  Man  ;  will  not  fail,  (God  Willing) 
to  meet  this  brave  and  bold  Inviter,  at  the  Time  and 
Place  appointed,  desiring  Sharp  swords,  and  from  him 
no  Favour. 

1  Harl.  MSS.  5931,  50. 


Sword  Play.  153 

tc '  tStNote.  No  persons  to  be  upon  the  Stage  but  the 
Seconds.      Vivat  ReginaJ ' 

This  is  not  the  only  available  advertisement,  but  it 
is  a  typical  one,  and  will  serve  for  all. 

"  The  challenger  would  wager  some  twenty  or  thirty 
pounds,  and  the  stakes  would  be  deposited  and  delivered 
to  the  Challenged  :  the  challenger  receiving  the  money  * 
taken  at  the  door,  or  as  we  should  term  it,  gate  money  ; 
which,  frequently,  twice  or  thrice  exceeded  the  value 
of  the  stakes. 

"  There  is  one  remarkable  exception,  I  have  found,  to 
this  monetary  arrangement,  but  it  is  the  only  one  in 
my  experience.  For,  in  an  advertisement  of  the  usual 
character,  there  comes  :  {  Note.  — That  John  Stokes 
fights  James  Harris,  and  Thomas  Hesgate  fights 
John  Terriwest,  three  Bouts  each  at  Back  Sword,  for 
Love.' 

"Preliminaries  arranged,  handbills  printed  and  dis- 
tributed, the  Combat  duly  advertised  in  at  least  one 
newspaper,  and  the  day  arrived ;  like  the  bull  and  bear, 
the  combatants  paraded  the  streets,  precede^  by  a  drum, 
having  their  sleeves  tucked  up,  and  their  Swords  in 
hand.  All  authorities  agree  that  the  fights  were,  to  a 
certain  extent,  serious.2  <  The  Edge  of  the  Sword  was 
a  little  blunted,  and  the  Care  of  the  Prize-fighters  was 
not  so  much  to  avoid  wounding  each  other,  as  to  avoid 
doing  it  dangerously  :  Nevertheless,  as  they  were 
oblig'd  to  fight  till  some  Blood  was  shed,  without  which 
no  Body  would  give  a  Farthing  for  the  Show,  they 
were  sometimes  forc'd  to  play  a  little  ruffly.  I  once 
1  Dc  Sorbiere.  2  Misson. 


154  Sword  Play. 

saw  a  much  deeper  and  longer  Cut  given  than  was 
intended.' 

"  Ward  r  gives  a  short  description  of  one  of  these 
fights :  c  Great  Preparations  at  the  Bear  Garden  all 
Morning,  for  the  noble  Tryal  of  Skill  that  is  to  be 
play'd  in  the  Afternoon.  Seats  fill'd  and  crowded  by- 
Two.  Drums  beat.  Dogs  yelp.  Butchers  and  Foot 
soldiers  clatter  their  Sticks  ;  At  last  the  two  heroes, 
in  their  fine  borrow'd  Holland  Shirts,  mount  the  Stage 
about  Three  ;  Cut  large  Collops  out  of  one  another, 
to  divert  the  Mob,  and  Make  Work  for  the  Surgeons  : 
Smoking,  Swearing,  Drinking,  Thrusting,  Justling, 
Elbowing,  Sweating,  Kicking,  Cuffing,  all  the  while  the 
Company  stays.' 

Steele  gives  a  good  account  of  a  prize  fight  :  2  '  The 
Combatants  met  in  the  Middle  of  the  Stage,  and,  shaking 
Hands,  as  removing  all  Malice,  they  retired  with  much 
Grace  to  the  Extremities  of  it ;  from  whence  they 
immediately  faced  about,  and  approached  each  other. 
Miller,  with  an  Heart  full  of  Resolution,  Buck,  with 
a  watchful,  untroubled  Countenance;  Buck  regarding 
principally  his  own  Defence,  Miller  chiefly  thoughtful 
of  his  Opponent.  It  is  not  easie  to  describe  the  many 
Escapes  and  imperceptible  Defences  between  Two  Men 
of  Ouick  Eyes,  and  ready  Limbs  ;  but  Miller  s  Heat 
laid  him  open  to  the  Rebuke  of  the  calm  Buck,  by 
a  large  Cut  on  the  Forehead  Much  EfTusion  of  Blood 
covered  his  Eyes  in  a  Moment,  and  the  Huzzas  of 
the  Crowd  undoubtedly  quickened  his  Anguish.     The 

1  "Comical  View  of  London  and  Westminster." 

2  Spectator,  No.  436. 


Sword  Play.  155 

Assembly  was  divided  into  Parties  upon  their  different 
ways  of  Fighting :  while  a  poor  Nymph  in  one  of  the 
Galleries  apparently  suffered  for  Miller >  and  burst  into 
a  Flood  of  Tears.  As  soon  as  his  Wound  was  wrapped 
up,  he  came  on  again  in  a  little  Rage,  which  still  dis- 
abled him  further.  But  what  brave  Man  can  be 
wounded  with  more  Patience  and  Caution  ?  The  next 
was  a  warm  eager  Onset,  which  ended  in  a  decisive 
Stroke  on  the  Left  Leg  of  Miller.  The  Lady  in  the 
Gallery,  during  the  second  Strife,  covered  her  face ;  and 
for  my  Part,  I  could  not  keep  my  thoughts  from  being 
mostly  employed  on  the  Consideration  of  her  unhappy 
Circumstances  that  Moment,  hearing  the  Clash  of 
Swords,  and  apprehending  Life  or  Victory  concerned 
her  Lover  in  every  Blow,  but  not  daring  to  satisfie 
herself  on  whom  they  fell.  The  Wound  was  exposed 
to  the  View  of  all  who  could  delight  in  it,  and  sowed 
up  on  the  Stage.  The  surly  Second  of  Miller  declared 
at  this  Time,  that  he  would,  that  Day  Fortnight,  fight 
Mr.  Buck  at  the  Same  Weapons,  declaring  himself  the 
Master  of  the  renowned  German  ;  but  Buck  denied  him 
the  Honour  of  that  Courageous  Disciple,  and,  asserting 
that  he  himself  had  taught  that  Champion,  accepted  the 
Challenge." 

In  No.  449,  of  the  Spectator,  is  the  following  letter 
re  Hockley- in- the- Hole  : — 

cc  Mr.  Spectator, — I  was  the  other  day  at  the  Bear- 
garden, in  hopes  to  have  seen  your  short  face ;  but  not 
being  so  fortunate,  I  must  tell  you  by  way  of  letter, 
that  there  is  a  mystery  among  the  gladiators  which  has 


156  Sword  Play. 

escaped  your  spectatorial  penetration.  For,  being  in 
a  Box  at  an  Alehouse,  near  that  renowned  Seat  or 
Honour  above  mentioned,  I  overheard  two  Masters  of 
the  Science  agreeing  to  quarrel  on  the  next  Opportunity. 
This  was  to  happen  in  the  Company  of  a  Set  of  the 
Fraternity  of  Basket  Hilts,  who  were  to  meet  that 
Evening.  When  that  was  settled,  one  asked  the  other, 
Will  you  give  Cuts,  or  receive  ?  the  other  answered, 
Receive.  It  was  replied,  Are  you  a  passionate  Man? 
No,  provided  you  cut  no  more,  nor  no  deeper  than 
we  agree.  I  thought  it  my  duty  to  acquaint  you  with 
this,  that  the  people  may  not  pay  their  money  for 
fighting,  and  be  cheated. 

'c  Your  humble  servant, 

cc  Scabbard  Rusty." 

It  was  not  sword  play  alone  that  was  the  favourite 
pastime  at  Hockley-in-the-Hole,  there  was  cudgel 
playing — and  fighting  with  fC  the  Ancient  Weapon 
called  the  Threshing  FlaiL"  There  is  an  advertisement 
extant  of  a  fight  with  this  weapon  between  John  Terre- 
west  and  John  Parkes  of  Coventry,  whose  tombstone 
affirms  that  he  fought  three  hundred  and  fifty  battles  in 
different  parts  of  Europe.  Fisticuffs  also  came  pro- 
minently into  vogue  early  in  the  eighteenth  century,  and 
it  is  needless  to  say  that  Hockley  was  a  favourite  place 
writh  its  professors.  The  site  of  the  Bear  Garden  is 
said  to  be  occupied  by  the  "  Coach  and  Horses,"  29, 
Ray  Street,  Farringdon  Road. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


IN  connection  with  the  Fleet,  I  have  omitted  to  mention 
one  locality,  in  this  immediate  neighbourhood,  which 
certainly  deserves  notice  from  its  associations,  namely 
Laystall  Street  and  Mount  Pleasant ;  for  here  it  was, 
that  a  fort  to  command  Gray's  Inn  Road,  was  built, 
when  the  lines  for  the  protection  of  the  City  were 
formed  by  order  of  Parliament  in  1643 — at  ^e  time 
when  it  was  feared  that  Prince  Rupert  was  coming  to 
attack  it.  For  nearly,  if  not  quite,  a  hundred  years 
those  lines  of  defence  were  partially  visible ;  and, 
certainly,  among  others,  one  was  at  Mount  Pleasant. 
It  is  a  somewhat  curious  thing  that  the  names  survive. 
A  Laystall  meant  a  dung  or  dust  heap,  and,  after  this 
artificial  mound  was  utilized  for  the  community  its 
name  was  euphemised  into  Mount  Pleasant,  which  it 
bears  to  this  day. 

This  work  of  intrenchment  was  almost  impressment, 
for  we  can  hardly  consider  that  it  was  voluntary,  when 


158  Mount   Pleasant. 

we  read  in  a  newspaper  of  1643,  tnat>  DY  order  of  the 
Parliament,  "  many  thousands  of  men  and  women 
(good  housekeepers),  their  children,  and  servants,  went 
out  of  the  several  parishes  of  London  with  spades, 
shovels,  pickaxes,  and  baskets,  and  drums  and  colours 
before  them ;  some  of  the  chief  men  of  every  parish 
marching  before  them,  and  so  went  into  the  fields,  and 
worked  hard  all  day  in  digging  and  making  of  trenches, 
from  fort  to  fort,  wherebie  to  intrench  the  citie  round 
from  one  end  to  the  other,  on  this  side  of  the  Thames ; 
and  late  at  night  the  company  came  back  in  like  manner 
they  went  out,  and  the  next  day  a  many  more  went, 
and  so  they  continued  daily,  with  such  cheerfulnesse 
that  the  whole  will  be  finished  ere  many  dayes."  And 
so  these  works  of  fortification  went  on,  encouraged  by 
the  presence  of  a  member  of  the  Common  Council,  and 
some  of  the  Trained  Bands  (the  City  Militia  of  that 
time)  and  it  was  a  work  in  which  all  classes  joined — 
willingly,  or  not,  I  know  not — but  the  latter,  probably, 
as  the  City  of  London  was  generally  loyal  to  its  king, 
although  on  occasion,  the  dwellers  therein,  knew  how 
to  hold  their  own  in  defence  of  their  prerogatives. 
But  the  fear  of  Prince  Rupert,  and  his  familiar  spirit — 
the  white  poodle  dog  "  Boy "  (who  was  killed,  after 
passing  through  many  a  battle-field  unscathed,  at 
Marston  Moor,  July  2,  1644),  mav  possibly  have  had 
something  to  do  with  it.  Of  course  we  know  that 
tailors  and  shoemakers,  are  mostly  radicals,  and  socialists 
in  politics,  probably  on  account  of  their  sedentary  work, 
where  political  discussion  is  rife,  and  from  their  constant 
inter- association,  not  mixing  much  with  the  outer  world  ; 


Saffron  Hill.  159 

therefore  we  can  scarcely  wonder  that  on  the  5th  of 
June,  1643,  that  some  five  thousand  or  six  thousand 
Tailors  went  out  to  help  intrench  the  City  against  the 
redoubted  Prince,  and  that,  afterwards,  the  shoemakers 
followed  their  example.  Two  thousand  porters  also 
helped  in  the  work.  Most  probably,  a  moral  (c  shrewd 
privie  nipp  "  was  administered  to  most  people  by  those 
then  in  power,  and  they  were  forced  into  taking  an 
active  part  in  raising  the  fortifications,  irrespective  of 
their  being  either  Cavaliers  or  Roundheads. 

At  all  events,  the  fort  at  Mount  Pleasant  was  raised, 
although  never  used,  and  it  belongs  to  the  history  of 
the  Fleet  River — as,  close  by,  a  little  affluent  joined  it. 
Gardens  sloped  down  to  its  banks,  notably  those  of 
the  great  Priory  of  St.  John's  Clerkenwell,  and,  like 
Bermondsey,  with  its  <c  Cherry  Gardens  " — the  names 
of  "  Vineyard  Walk "  and  u  Pear  Tree  Court "  bear 
testimony  to  the  fruitfulness  of  this  part  of  London. 
There  is  also  "  Vine  Street "  in  Saffron  Hill,  which 
latter  name  is  extremely  suggestive  of  the  growth  of 
a  plant  which,  in  old  times,  was  much  used  both  in 
medicine  and  cooking.  It  was  called  <c  The  Liberty 
of  Saffron  Hill,  Hatton  Garden,  and  Ely  Place" — 
which  was  in  the  Manor  of  PortpooL 

Saffron  Hill,  nowadays,  is  the  home  of  the  Italian 
organ-grinder,  who,  although  not  unknown  to  the  police, 
is  undoubtedly  a  better  citizen  than  previous  dwellers 
therein.  Specially  was  West  Street,  or  Chick  Lane,  as 
it  was  formerly  called,  a  neighbourhood  to  be  avoided 
by  all  honest  men.  It  ran  both  east  and  west  of  the 
Fleet,    which   it   crossed   by  a   bridge.      Stow  calls  it 


160  Saffron  Hill. 

Chicken  Lane,  but  it  certainly  was  not  inhabited  by- 
young  and  innocent  birds.  It  ran  into  Field  Lane,  of 
unsavoury  memory,  and  now  done  away  with. 

This  was  the  state  of  West  Street,  as  exemplified  by 
a  cutting  from  the  Morning  Herald  of  Feb.  1 1,  1834  : 

"  Yesterday  an  inquest  was  held  at  the  Horse  Shoe  and 
Magpie,  Saffron  Hill,  before  Thomas  Stirling,  Esq., 
Coroner,  on  the  body  of  James  Parkinson,  aged  36,  who 
came  by  his  death  under  the  following  circumstances. 

"  The  Jury  proceeded  to  view  the  body  of  the  de- 
ceased, which  lay  in  the  upper  part  of  a  low  lodging- 
house  for  travellers,  in  West  Street,  Saffron  Hill.  It 
was  in  a  high  state  of  decomposition,  and  a  report  was 
generally  circulated  that  he  had  come  by  his  death  by 
unfair  means. 

"  Mary  Wood  being  sworn,  deposed  that  she  was  the 
landlady  of  the  house  in  West  Street,  which  she  let  out 
in  lodgings.  The  deceased  occasionally  lodged  with 
her,  and  he  was  a  dealer  in  cat's  meat.  On  Tuesday 
night  last  he  came  home  and  asked  her  for  a  light,  and 
proceeded  to  his  bedroom.  On  the  Wednesday  witness 
proceeded  upstairs  to  make  the  beds,  when  she  saw  the 
deceased  lying  on  his  bed  apparently  asleep,  but  she  did 
not  speak  to  him.  On  the  Thursday  she  proceeded  to 
the  upper  part  of  the  house  for  the  same  purpose,  when 
she  again  saw  the  deceased  lying  as  if  asleep,  but  she 
did  not  disturb  him,  and  he  was  ultimately  discovered 
to  be  a  corpse,  and  his  face  quite  black. 

"  Juror.  Pray,  how  many  beds  are  there  in  the  room 
where  the  deceased  slept  ? 


Old  House  in  West  Street.  161 

"  Witness.  Only  eight,  and  please  you,  Sir. 

"  Indeed,  and  how  many  persons  are  in  the  habit  of 
sleeping  in  the  same  apartment  ? — There  are  generally 
two  or  three  in  a  bed,  but  the  deceased  had  a  bed  to 
himself. 

"  Very  comfortable  truly.  Is  it  not  strange  that  none 
of  his  fellow  lodgers  ascertained  that  he  was  dead  ? — 
No,  Sir,  they  go  in  and  out  without  seeming  to  care  for 
each  other. 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say,  if  a  poor  man  was  to  take  a 
lodging  at  your  house,  you  would  let  him  lie  for  up- 
wards of  48  hours  without  inquiring  whether  he  required 
nourishment  ? — Why,  Sir,  I  have  known  some  of  my 
I  lodgers,  who  have  been  out  upon  the  spree  to  lay  in  bed 
for  three  and  four  days  together,  without  a  bit  or  a  sup, 
and  then  they  have  gone  out  to  their  work  as  well  and 
as  hearty  as  ever  they  was  in  their  lives  ;  I  have  known 
it  often  to  have  been  done.  There  was  plenty  of  grub 
in  the  house  if  he  liked  to  have  asked  for  it ;  but  I 
thought  if  I  asked  him  to  have  victuals  he  would  be 
offended,  as  he  might  receive  it  as  a  hint  for  the  few 
nights'  lodging  that  he  owed  me. 

"  Mr.  Appleby,  the  parish  surgeon,  proved  that  the 
deceased  died  a  natural  death,  and  the  Jury  returned  a 
verdict  of  '  Died  by  the  visitation  of  God.' " 

There  was  an  old  house  in  West  Street,  pulled  down 
in  April,  1840,  which  tradition  affirmed  to  have  been 
the  residence  of  the  infamous  Jonathan  Wild,  and,  when 
destroyed,  its  age  was  considered  to  be  about  three 
hundred  years.     At  one  time  it  was  the  Red  Lion  Inn ; 

12 


162  Old  House   in  West  Street. 

but  for  a  hundred  years  prior  to  its  demolition  it  was  a 
low  lodging-house.  Owing  to  the  numerous  facilities 
for  secretion  and  escape,  it  was  the  haunt  of  coiners 
secret  distillers,  thieves,  and  perhaps  worse.  There  were 
trap  doors  connected  with  the  Fleet  River  through  which 
booty  might  be  thrown,  or  a  man  get  away,  if  hard 
pressed  ;  a  secret  door  in  a  garret  led  to  the  next  house, 
and  there  were  many  hiding  places — in  one  of  which  a 
chimney  sweep  named  Jones,  who  had  escaped  from 
Newgate,  lay  hidden  for  about  six  weeks,  although  the 
house  was  repeatedly  searched  by  the  police. 

And  there  was  Field  Lane  too,  which  was  the  house 
of  the  "  Fence,"  or  receiver  of  stolen  goods.  It  was 
from  this  interesting  locality  that  Charles  Dickens  drew 
that  wonderful  study  of  Fagin — who  was  a  real  character. 
Cruikshank  has  made  him  as  immortal,  but  Kenny 
Meadows  tried  to  delineate  him  in  a  clever  series  which 
appeared  in  Bell's  Life  in  London,  under  the  title  of 
"  Gallery  of  Comicalities." 

"  Welcome,  Old  Star,  of  Saffron  hill. 
Of  villainy  a  sample  bright, 
Awake  to  Frigs,  and  plunder  still, 
Thou  merry,  ancient  Israelite  ! 

Thy  face  is  rough,  with  matted  shag, 
Foul  is  thy  form,  old  shrivell'd  wretch. 

How  cunningly  you  eye  the  swag, 
Harden'd  purveyor  to  Jack  Ketch  ! 

Incrusted  with  continued  crime, 

Your  hopeful  pupils  still  employ — 
Thou  wert  indeed  a  Tutor  prime 

To  Oliver,  the  Workhouse  Boy. 


Fagin. 


l63 


Poor  Lad  !   condemn'd  to  fate's  hard  stripes, 
To  herd  with  Fagin's  plundering  pack  ; 

And  learn  the  art  of  filching  wipes, 

From  Charley  Bates,  and  Dawkins  Jack. 


To  hear  'The  Dodger'  patter  slang, 
With  knowing  wink,  and  accent  glib, 

Or  learn  from  '  Sikes's '  ruffian  gang, 
In  slap  up  style  to  crack  a  crib. 


164 


Field    Lane. 


Hail,  Fagin  !   Patriarch  of  the  whole  ! 

Kind  Patron  of  these  knowing  ones— 
In  thee  we  trace  a  kindred  soul 

Of  honest  Ikey  Solomon's  ! 


.7    L 


FIELD   LANE  NEGOTIATIONS;  OR,   A  SPECIMEN    OF   "FINE   DRAWING." 

We  leave  you  to  your  courses  vile, 

For  conscience  you  have  none,  old  Codger  ! 

And  in  our  next  we'll  trace  in  style, 
The  mug  of  Jack,  the  artful  dodger'' 


Field  Lane.  165 

The  artistic  merit  of  this  poetry  is  nil,  and  my  only 
excuse  is  the  introduction  of  a  forgotten  sketch  by  a 
dead  artist,  who,  in  his  day  was  popular  and  famous. 
Who,  for  instance,  remembering  Leech's  pictures  in 
Punch,  would  think  that  this  illustration  x  ever  came 
from  his  pencil  ?  but  it  did,  and  from  Bell's  Life  in 
London ;  and  so  did  another,  of  two  children  fighting  in 
Chick  Lane,  whilst  their  parents,  the  father  with  a 
broken  nose,  and  the  mother  with  a  black  eye,  look  on 
approvingly. 

"  Field  Lane  Negotiations  ;  or,  a  Specimen  of 
1  Fine  Drawing.'  Thish  ish  vot  I  callsh  c  caushe  and 
effect ; '  caushe  if  vee  thidn't  buy,  no  bothy  vood  shell, 
and  if  vee  thidn't  shell,  nobothy  vood  buy ;  and  vot's 
more,  if  peoplesh  thidn't  have  foglesh,  vy,  nobothy  could 
prig  em  "  (See  Abrahams  on  the  "  Economy  of  Wipes  "). 

Those  were  the  days  of  large  and  valuable  silk 
Bandana  handkerchiefs,  and  the  story  used  to  be  told 
that  you  might  have  your  pocket  picked  of  your  hand- 
kerchief at  one  end  of  Field  Lane,  and  buy  it  again  at 
the  other  end,  with  the  marking  taken  out. 

Long  before  Fagin's  time,  however,  there  was  a  school 
for  young  thieves  in  this  neighbourhood,  vide  Gentle- 
man s  Magazine  (1765),  vol.  xxxv.  p.  145. 

"  Four  boys,  detected  in  picking  pockets,  were  ex- 
amined before  the  Lord  Mayor,  when  one  was  admitted 
as  evidence,  who  gave  an  account,  that  a  man  who  kept  a 
publichouse  near  Fleet  Market,  had  a  club  of  boys,  whom 
he  instructed  in  picking  pockets,  and  other  iniquitous 
1  See  previous  page. 


166  Thieves. 

practices  ;  beginning  first  with  teaching  them  to  pick  a 
handchief  out  of  his  own  pocket,  and  next  his  watch  ;  so 
that,  at  last,  the  evidence  was  so  great  an  adept,  that  he 
got  the  publican's  watch  four  times  in  one  evening,  when 
he  swore  he  was  as  perfect  as  one  of  twenty  years 
practice.  The  pilfering  out  of  shops  was  his  next  art ; 
his  instructions  to  his  pupils  were,  that  as  many  chandlers, 
or  other  shops,  as  had  hatches,1  one  boy  was  to  knock 
for  admittance  for  some  trifle,  whilst  another  was  lying 
on  his  belly,  close  to  the  hatch,  who  when  the  boy  came 
out,  the  hatch  on  jar,  and  the  owner  withdrawn,  was  to 
crawl  in,  on  all  fours,  and  take  the  tills  or  anything  else 
he  could  meet  with,  and  to  retire  in  the  same  manner. 
Breaking  into  shops  by  night  was  another  article  which 
was  to  be  effected  thus :  as  walls  of  brick  under  shop 
windows  are  very  thin,  two  of  them  were  to  lie  under 
a  window  as  destitute  beggars,  asleep  to  passers  by,  but, 
when  alone,  were  provided  with  pickers  to  pick  the 
mortar  out  of  the  bricks,  and  so  on  till  they  had  opened 
a  hole  big  enough  to  go  in,  when  one  was  to  lie,  as  if 
asleep,  before  the  breach,  till  the  other  accomplished  his 
purpose." 

1  Dwarf  doors. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 


CLOSE  by  Saffron  Hill,  and  Fleet  Lane,  is  Hatton 
Garden,  or  Ely  Place,  formerly  the  seats  of  the 
Bishops  of  Ely  ;  which  Shakespeare  has  made  so 
familiar  to  us  in  Richard  III.  act  iii.  sc.  4.  "  My 
Lord  of  Ely,  when  I  was  last  in  Holborn,  I  saw  good 
strawberries  in  your  garden  there ;  I  do  beseeech  you, 
send  for  some  of  them."  I  In  Queen  Elizabeth's  time 
an  arrangement  was  effected  so  that  her  favourite 
Chancellor  Hatton,  who  "  led  the  brawls,  the  Seal  and 
Maces  danc'd  before  him," 2  should  have  this  little 
estate,  the  gardens  of  which  sloped  down  to  the  Fleet 

1  Hollinshed  says — speaking  of  a  Council  at  the  Tower,  relative 
to  the  Coronation  of  Edward  V.,  at  which  the  Protector  presided, 
"  After  a  little  talking  with  them,  he  said  unto  the  Bishop  of  Ely, 
*  My  Lord,  you  have  verie  good  strawberries  at  your  garden  in 
Holborne,  I  require  you  let  us  have  a  messe  of  them.'  '  Gladlie, 
my  Lord,'  quoth  he,  '  would  God  I  had  some,  better  thing  as  readie 
to  your  pleasure  as  that  ! '  And  there  withall,  in  all  haste,  he  sent 
his  servant  for  a  messe  of  strawberries." 

2  Gray,  "J  long  Story:' 


168  Bleeding   Hart  Yard. 

River.  Hence  the  Bishop  of  Ely's  place  assumed  the 
name  of  Hatton  Garden. 

There  is  a  legend — and  I  give  it  as  such — that  this 
Sir  Christopher  Hatton  married  a  beautiful  gipsy  girl, 
who  bewitched  him ;  and  the  price  she  had  to  pay, 
according  to  her  compact  with  the  Evil  One,  was  her 
soul,  and  body,  after  a  given  time.  When  that  arrived, 
the  Devil  duly  came  for  her,  and  seizing  her,  bore  her 
aloft,  and,  whilst  in  the  air,  he  rent  her  in  pieces,  and 
threw  her  still  palpitating  heart  to  earth.  Where  it 
fell  was,  for  years,  known  as  Bleeding  Heart  Yard ;  but 
now,  the  authorities,  whoever  they  may  be,  have  altered 
it  to  Bleeding  Hart,  which,  in  all  probability  was  the 
cognizance  of  the  family  who  resided  there. 

This  Ely  Place  had  very  extensive  premises,  consisting 
of  numerous  buildings,  a  Hall,  Quadrangle,  Cloisters, 
Chapel,  a  field,  the  historic  garden,  cum  multis  aliis ; 
and  they  occupied  a  large  space.  Only  the  Chapel  now 
remains,  and  that  has  had  a  curious  career.  At  one 
time  marriages  were  celebrated  there,  as  at  the  Fleet, 
presumably  that  it  was  not  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
Bishop  of  London,  but  this  fiction  was  overruled  in  the 
case  of  Barton  v.  Wells  in  the  Consistory  Court,  Nov. 
17,  1789,  when  Sir  Wm.  Scott  (afterwards  Lord  Stowell) 
decided  that  Ely  Chapel  was  under  the  authority  of  the 
Bishop  of  London,  and  that  Curates  thereto  must  be 
licensed  by  him. 

The  Bishops  came  to  London  in  former  times,  as 
now,  and  their  residences,  in  several  cases  were  known 
as  V laces,  or  Palaces.  Thus,  there  was  Winchester 
Place,  in  Southwark,  now  the  headquarters  of  the  Fire 


Ely   Place.  169 

Brigade — formerly  the  palace  of  the  Bishops  of  Win- 
chester, a  city  which  was  once  the  metropolis  of  England, 
where  Parliaments  were  held,  and  whose  Bishops  to 
this  day  are  titular  Prelates  of  the  Garter.  The  Bishop 
of  Bangor,  who,  although  his  see  claims  to  be  as  old  as 
any,  has  not  the  richest  bishopric,  had  a  palace  in  Shoe 
Lane,  Holborn,  and  the  Bishop  of  Lincoln  also  lived  in 
Holborn. 

The  first  mention  of  the  connection  of  the  Bishops 
of  Ely,  is  in  the  will  of  John  de  Kirkeby  (who  was 
appointed  Bishop  in  1286),  and  whose  will  was  proved 
in  1290,  or  18  Edward  I.,and  in  the  Close  Roll  of  that 
year,  is  the  following  (in  Latin,  of  course)  : 

"  For  the  Executors  of  the  Will  of  the  Bishop  of  Ely. 
"  Whereas  the  King  hath  understood  that  John,  late 
Bishop  of  Ely,  deceased,  of  pious  memory,  hath  in  his 
last  will  bequeathed  his  houses  which  he  had  in  the 
parish  of  St.  Andrew  near  Holeburn,  in  the  suburbs, 
and  within  the  liberty  of  the  city  of  London,  to  God, 
and  the  Church  of  St.  Etheldreda  J  of  Ely,  and  his 
successors,  bishops  of  the  same  place,  so  that  they 
should  pay  the  debts  which  the  same  deceased  owed  for 
those  houses  to  Gregory  de  Rokesle,  the  King's  Citizen, 
of  London ;  Ralph  de  Sandwich,  warden  of  the  said 
City,  is  commanded,  that,  without  delay,  he  deliver 
the  aforesaid  houses,  with  appurtenances,  which  are  in 
the  King's  hand  and  custody,  by  reason  of  the  death  of 
the  aforesaid  bishop,  thereof  to  make  execution  of  the 
said  will. 

x  Afterwards  Anglicised  into  Audrey, 


170  John   of   Gaunt. 

"  Witness  the  King  at  Westminster  on  the  18th  day 
of  July." 

The  next  bishop — William  de  Luda  (who  must  have 
been  a  person  of  some  distinction,  for  he  had  previously 
held  the  Deanery  of  St.  Martin's  le  Grand,  and  the 
Archdeaconry  of  Durham,  besides  being  Chamberlain, 
Treasurer,  and  Keeper  of  the  Wardrobe  to  the  King) 
bequeathed  more  property  to  the  See,  and  in  all  likeli- 
hood, built  the  Chapel  of  St.  Etheldreda,  which,  how- 
ever, was  most  probably  considerably  modified  by  a  later 
Bishop,  Thomas  de  Arundel,  who  held  the  See  from 
1374  to  1388 — as  the  windows,  mouldings,  &c,  now 
existing  show,  being  about  as  good  an  example,  as 
possible,  of  Decorated,  or  Second  Pointed  architecture. 

"  Old  John  of  Gaunt,  time-honoured  Lancaster  "  lived 
at  Ely  Place  for  a  time — in  all  likelihood  after  his 
palace  in  the  Savoy,  had  been  destroyed  by  rioters. 
This  fact  is  noted  by  Shakespeare  in  "  The  life  and 
death  of  King  Richard  the  Second,"  act  i.  sc.  4  : 

"  Busby.    Old  Iohn  of  Gaunt  is  verie  sick,  my  Lord, 
Sodainly  taken,  and  hath  sent  post  haste 
To  entreat  your  Majesty  to  visit  him. 
Richard.    Where  lyes  he  ? 
Busby.   At  Ely  house." 

Hollinshed,  also,  under  date  1399,  says:  "  ^n  tne 
meane  time,  the  Duke  of  Lancaster  departed  out  of  this 
life  at  the  Bishop  of  Elie's  place,  in  Holborne,  and  lieth 
buried  in  the  Cathedrall  Church  of  St.  Paule,  in  London 
on  the  north  side  of  the  high  altar,  by  the  Ladie  Blanche, 
his  first  wife." 


Ely   Chapel.  171 

The  premises  were  of  very  great  extent,  as  appears 
by  plans  taken  before  its  almost  total  demolition  in 
T772.  Under  the  Chapel  was  a  cellar,  or  under  croft — 
divided  into  two — and  this  seems  to  have  caused  some 
inconvenience  in  the  seventeenth  century,  for  Malcolm, 
in  his  "  Londinium  Redivivum"  (vol.  ii.  p.  236)  says: 
"  One  half  of  the  crypt  under  the  chapel,  which  had 
been  used  for  interments,  was  then  frequented  as  a 
drinking-place,  where  liquor  was  retailed ;  and  the 
intoxication  of  the  people  assembled,  often  interrupted 
the  offices  of  religion  above  them."  And  this  state- 
ment seems  to  be  borne  out  by  a  reference  to  Harl. 
MSS.  3789,  et  seq.y  where  it  says  :  "  Even  half  of 
the  vault  or  burying  place  under  the  Chapel  is  made 
use  of  as  a  public  cellar  (or  was  so  very  lately)  to  sell 
drink  in,  there  having  been  frequently  revellings  heard 
there  during  Divine  Service." 

More  curious  things  than  this  happened  to  Ely  Place, 
for  the  Journals  of  the  House  of  Commons  inform  us 
how,  on  January  3,  1642-3,  "The  palace  was  this  day 
ordered  to  be  converted  into  a  prison,  and  John  Hunt, 
Sergeant-at-arms,  appointed  keeper  during  the  pleasure 
of  the  House."  He  was,  at  the  same  time,  commanded 
to  take  care  that  the  gardens,  trees,  chapel,  and  its 
windows,  received  no  injury.  A  sufficient  sum  for 
repairs  was  granted  from  the  revenues  of  the  see. 

Again,  on  March  1,  1660:  "Ordered  that  it  be 
referred  to  a  Committee  to  consider  how,  and  in  what 
manner,  the  said  widows,  orphans,  and  maim'd  soldiers, 
at  Ely  Hous?,  may  be  provided  for,  and  paid,  for  the 
future,  with  the  least  prejudice,  and  most  ease  to  the 


172  Ely    Chapel. 

nation ;  and  how  a  weekly  revenue  may  be  settled  for 
their  maintenance ;  and  how  the  maimed  soldiers  may 
be  disposed  of,  so  as  the  nation  may  be  eased  of  the 
charge,  and  how  they  may  be  provided  of  a  preaching 
minister." 

There  were  always  squabbles  about  this  property, 
and  it  nearly  fell  into  ruin;  but  in  1772  an  Act  or 
Parliament  was  passed  (Geo.  III.,  an.  12,  cap.  43) 
entitled  "  An  Act  for  vesting  Ely  House,  in  Holbourn, 
in  His  Majesty,  his  Heirs  and  Successors,  and  for 
applying  the  Purchase  Money,  with  another  Sum 
therein  mentioned,  in  the  purchasing  of  a  Freehold 
Piece  of  Ground  in  Dover  Street,  and  in  the  building, 
and  fitting  up  another  House  thereon,  for  the  future 
Residence  of  the  Bishops  of  Ely,  and  the  Surplus  to  the 
Benefit  of  the  See ;  and  for  other  Purposes  therein 
mentioned."  And  the  town  residence  of  the  Bishop 
of  Ely  is  now  37,  Dover  Street,  Piccadilly.  This  little 
bargain  was  the  sale  to  the  Crown  of  Ely  Place  for 
£6,500,  and  a  perpetual  annuity  of  £200  to  the  Bishop 
of  Ely  and  his  successors. 

The  site  and  materials  were  purchased  by  a  Mr. 
Charles  Cole,  an  architect  and  builder,  and  he  built 
Ely  Place,  Holborn.  The  chapel  was  let,  and,  even- 
tually, to  the  Welsh  Episcopalians  of  London.  But  the 
property  got  into  Chancery,  and  the  estate  was  ordered 
to  be  sold  ;  and  it  was  sold  on  January  28,  1874,  and 
the  chapel  alone  fetched  £5,250.  As  there  was  no 
stipulation  as  to  its  purchase  by  any  particular  religious 
body,  it  was  bought  by  the  Roman  Catholics,  and  is 
now  St.  Etheldreda's  Church,  Convent,  and  schools. 


A  it 


1   lj 


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1 

If? 


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174  Turnmill    Brook. 

Apropos  of  Ely  House,  when  Bishop  Coxe  demurred 
at  surrendering  the  property  of  his  see  to  Hatton, 
Queen  Elizabeth  wrote  him  that  famous  letter,  begin- 
ning "  Proud  Prelate,"  and  telling  him  that,  if  he  did 
not  do  as  he  was  told,  she,  who  had  made  him  what  he 
was,  could  unmake  him,  and  if  he  did  not  immediately 
comply,  she  would  unfrock  him — signing  this  very 
characteristic  and  peremptory  epistle,  "  Yours,  as  you 
demean  yourself,  Elizabeth." 

On  the  other  or  east  side  of  the  Fleet  was  a  tributary 
brook  called  Turnmill  brook — a  name  now  surviving 
in  Turnmill  Street — which,  even  in  this  century,  drove 
flour  and  flatting  mills,  and  we  have  indisputable  evi- 
dence of  its  industrial  powers,  in  an  advertisement  in 
the  Daily  Courant  September  17,  17 14,  which  calls 
attention  to  a  house  in  Bowling  (Green)  Alley,1  Turn- 
mill  Street,  which  had  the  power  of  utilizing  "  a  common 
sewer  with  a  good  stream,  and  a  good  current,  for  pur- 
poses of  a  Mill ;  "  and  it  was  on  Turnmill  Brook  that 
Cave,  the  publisher,  in  1740,  went  into  an  unprofitable 
partnership  with  one  Lewis  Paul,  of  Birmingham,  to 
work  a  mill  for  the  utilization  of  a  patent  taken  out  by 
Paul  for  a  "  Machine  to  spin  wool  or  cotton  into  thread, 
yarn,  or  worsted."  This  experiment,  however,  was  not 
a  success. 

The  Fleet  flowing  to  its  bourne,2  the  Thames,  was 
bridged  over  at  Holborn.  Stow  says  :  "  Oldbourne 
bridge,  over  the  said  river  of  Wels  more  towards  the 
north,  was  so  called,  of  a  bourn  that  sometimes  ran 

1  There  is  now  Bowling  Green  Street^  Farringdon  Street. 

2  See  next  two  pages. 


1 76 


The  Fleet. 


down  Oldbourne  hill  into  the  said  river.     This  bridge 
of  stone,  like   as    Fleet    bridge    from   Ludgate  West, 


serveth  for  passengers  with  Carriage,  or  otherwise,  from 
Newgate  toward  the  west  and  by  north."  This  was 
written  in  1598. 


Holborn  Bridge.  177 

After  the  Great  Fire  of  1666  the  Fleet  was  widened, 
and  canalized,  from  the  Thames,  to  Holborn  Bridge; 
thence,  to  its  source,  it  took  its  natural  course,  and, 
although  there  were  then  three  bridges  over  it,  from 
Holborn  to  Newgate  Street,  set  close,  side  by  side,  yet 
it  was  considered  too  narrow  for  the  traffic,  as  we  see 
in  an  Act  of  Parliament  passed  in  1670  (22  Car.  II., 
cap.  11),  entitled  "An  additional  Act  for  the  Rebuild- 
ing of  the  City  of  London,  Uniting  of  Parishes,  and 
Rebuilding  of  the  Cathedral  and  Parochial  Churches 
within  the  said  City."  Section  7  says  :  "  And,  whereas 
the  Way  or  Passage  of  Holborn- Bridge  is  now  too  strait, 
or  incommodious  for  the  many  Carriages  and  Passengers 
daily  using  and  frequenting  the  same,  and  is  therefore 
necessary  to  be  enlarged ;  Be  it  therefore  likewise 
enacted,  That  it  shall  and  may  be  lawful  for  the  said 
Mayor,  Aldermen,  and  Commons,  so  to  enlarge  and 
make  wider  the  same,  as  that  the  said  Way  and  Passage 
may  run  in  a  Bevil  Line  from  a  certain  Timber  house 
on  the  North  side  thereof,  commonly  called  or  known 
by  the  Name  or  Sign  of  the  Cock,  into  the  Front  of  the 
Buildings  of  a  certain  Inn  called  the  Swan  Inn,  situate 
on  the  North  side  of  Holborn  Hill,  as  aforesaid." 

Sir  Christopher  Wren  built  this  bridge,  which  was 
meant  to  be  the  ornamental  end  of  "  The  New  Canal," 
as  it  is  described  in  the  map  of  Farringdon  Ward  in 
Stow's  "  Survey"  (ed.  1720).  It  must  have  taken  some 
time  to  complete,  for  it  was  not  finished  until  the 
Mayoralty  of  Sir  William  Hooker,  whose  name  ap- 
peared carved  upon  it  (although  somewhat  mutilated) 
when  it  was  uncovered  in  March,  1840.     Sir  William 

13 


178  Holborn   Bridge. 

Tite,  C.B.,  M.P.,  F.S.A.,  &c,  Architect  to  the  City  of 
London,  writing  at  that  date,  says  :  "  The  Sewer  at 
Holborn  Hill  was  opened,  and  as  I  was  passing,  I  saw 
the  southern  face  of  the  Bridge  which  crossed  the  Fleet 
at  this  place  uncovered  to  some  extent.  It  was  built  of 
red  brick,  and  the  arch  was  about  twenty  feet  span. 
The  road  from  the  east  intersected  the  bridge  obliquely, 
which  irregularity  was  obviated  from  a  moulded  and 
well-executed  stone  corbelarising  out  of  the  angle  thus 
formed,  which  carried  the  parapet.  On  the  plinth  course 
of  the  parapet  was  cut  the  inscription  following,  record- 
ing the  fact  of  the  erection  of  the  bridge,  with  the 
name  of  the  Lord  Mayor  at  the  period : — "  William 
Hooke(r).  (A)nno  D.  1674." 

Sir  William  Tite  says  it  was  a  red  brick  bridge ; 
Hatton,  in  his  "New  View  of  London"  (1708),  says 
it  was  of  stone;  but  then,  probably,  he  never  really 
saw  it,  and  Tite  did.  Hatton's  description  is  :  "  Hol- 
bourn  Bridge  is  built  of  Stone,  it  leads  from  Holbourn  to 
Snow  Hilly  over  the  N.  end  of  the  Fleet  Brooky  where  a 
little  rivulet  called  Wells y  falls  by  Hockley  Hole,  running 
a  little  E'd  of  Saffron  Hilly  crossing  near  the  W.  end  of 
Chick  Lane,  and  s^  into  this  Brook." 

The  canalization  of  the  Fleet  after  1666  was  a  use- 
ful work,  as  it  enabled  barges  to  go  up  to  Holborn 
Bridge ;  and  that  it  was  availed  of,  we  can  judge  by 
the  frontispiece,  which  was  painted  in  the  middle  of  the 
eighteenth  century ;  but  it  was  not  much  used,  if  we 
can  trust  Ned  Ward,  whose  sharp  eyes  looked  every- 
where, and  whose  pen  recorded  his  scrutiny1 :   "  From 

1   "  London  Spy,"  part  vi. 


180  Holborn  Bridge. 

thence  we  took  a  turn  down  by  the  Ditch  side,  I 
desiring  my  Friend  to  inform  me  what  great  Advan- 
tages this  costly  Brook  contributed  to  the  Town,  to 
Countervail  the  Expence  of  Seventy  four  Thousand 
Pounds,  which  I  read  in  a  very  Credible  Author,  was 
the  Charge  of  its  making  :  He  told  me  he  was  wholly 
unacquainted  with  any,  unless  it  was  now  and  then  to 
bring  up  a  few  Chaldron  of  Coles  to  two  or  three 
Pedling  Fewel-Mar chants^  who  sell  them  never  the 
Cheaper  to  the  Poor  for  such  a  Conveniency  :  and,  as 
for  those  Cellars  you  see  on  each  side  design'd  for 
Ware-Houses,  they  are  render'd  by  their  dampness  so 
unfit  for  that  purpose  that  they  are  wholly  useless, 
except  ...  or  to  harbour  Frogs,  Toads,  and  other 
Vermin.  The  greatest  good  that  ever  I  heard  it  did 
was  to  the  Undertaker,  who  is  bound  to  acknowledge 
he  has  found  better  Fishing  in  that  muddy  Stream,  than 
ever  he  did  in  clear  Water." 

Gay,  too,  in  his  "  Trivia,"  more  than  once  mentions 
the  foulness  of  the  Fleet  in  book  ii. 

"Or  who  that  rugged  street1  would  traverse  o'er; 
That  stretches,  O  Fleet-Ditch,  from  thy  black  shore 
To  the  Tour's  moated  walls  ?" 

And  again  : 

"If  where  Fleet-Ditch  with  muddy  current  flows." 

Here  is  a  pen-and-ink  sketch  of  Holborn  Bridge — 
from  some  old  engraving  or  painting  (Crosby  does  not 

1  Thames  Street. 


HOLBORN    BRIDGE. 


182 


Holborn  Bridge. 


give  his  authority),  which  gives  an  excellent  idea  of 
old  London — squalid  and  filthy  according  to  our  ideas. 
How  different  from  that  noble  viaduct  which  now 
spans  the  course  of  the  Fleet  River !  which  her  Majesty 
opened  on  November  6,  1869. 


CHAPTER  XV. 


THEN,  close  by  (still  keeping  up  its  title  of  the 
River  of  the  Wells)  was  Lamb's  Conduit,  on 
Snow  Hill,  which  was  fed  from  a  little  rill 
which  had  its  source  near  where  the  Foundling  Hos- 
pital now  stands,  its  course  being  perpetuated  by  the 
name  of  Lamb's  Conduit  Street,  where,  according  to  the 
"  Old  English  Herbal,"  watercresses  used  to  flourish. 
"  It  groweth  of  its  own  accord  in  gardens  and  fields 
by  the  way  side,  in  divers  places,  and  particularly  in 
the  next  pasture  to  the  Conduit  Head,  behind  Gray's 
Inn,  that  brings  water  to  Mr.  Lamb's  Conduit  in 
Holborn." 

William  Lamb  was  a  citizen  of  London,  and  of  the 
Guild  of  Cloth- workers,  besides  which,  he  was  some  time 
Gentleman  of  the  Chapel  to  Henry  VIII.  He  benefited 
his  fellow- citizens  by  restoring  a  conduit  in  1577,  which 
had  been  in  existence  since  the  fifteenth  century ;  and, 
after  the  Great  Fire,  the  busy  Sir  Christopher  Wren  was 


184  Lamb's  Conduit. 

employed  to  design  a  covering  for  the  spring,  which  he 
did,  putting  a  lamb  on  the  top,  with  a  very  short  in- 
scription on  the  front  panel,  to  the  effect  that  it  was 
"  Rebuilt  in  the  year  1677  Sr  Thos  Davis  Knl  Ld 
Mayor." 

It  is  curious  to  learn  how  the  suburbs  of  London 
have  grown  within  the  memory  of  living  men.  Take, 
for  instance,  the  following,  from  Notes  and  Queries 
(April,  1857,  p.  265),  referring  to  Lamb's  Conduit. 
A  correspondent  writes  that  "  About  sixty  years  since, 
I  was  travelling  from  the  West  of  England  in  one 
of  the  old  stage  coaches  of  that  day,  and  my  fellow- 
travellers  were  an  octogenarian  clergyman  and  his 
daughter.  In  speaking  of  the  then  increasing  size  of 
London,  the  old  gentleman  said  that  when  he  was  a 
boy,  and  recovering  from  an  attack  of  smallpox,  he 
was  sent  into  the  country  to  a  row  of  houses  standing 
on  the  west  side  of  the  present  Lamb's  Conduit  Street ; 
that  all  the  space  before  him  was  open  fields  ;  that  a 
streamlet  of  water  ran  under  his  window  ;  and  he  saw 
a  man  snipe-shooting,  who  sprung  a  snipe  near  to  the 
house,  and  shot  it." 

It  was  no  small  gift  of  William  Lamb  to  the  City, 
for  it  cost  him  £1,500,  which  was  equivalent  to  thrice 
that  sum  at  present,  and,  to  make  it  complete,  he  gave 
to  one  hundred  and  twenty  poor  women,  pails  where- 
with to  serve  and  carry  water,  whereby  they  earned  an 
honest,  although  a  somewhat  laborious,  living.  Lamb 
left  many  charitable  bequests,  and  also  founded  a  chapel, 
by  Monkwell  Street,  now  pulled  down.  This  Conduit 
existed  until  about  1755,  when  it  was  demolished,  and 


LAMB  S  CONDUIT,    SNOW   HILL. 


1 86  Lamb's  Conduit. 

an  obelisk  with  lamps  erected  in  its  place,  but,  that 
being  found  a  nuisance,  was,  in  its  turn,  soon  done 
away  with. 

Lamb  was  buried  in  the  Church  of  St.  Faith's,  under 
St.  Paul's,  and  on  a  pillar  was  a  brass  to  his  memory, 
which  is  so  quaint,  that  I  make  no  apology  for  intro- 
ducing it. 

"  William  Lambe  so  sometime  was  my  name, 
Whiles  alive  dyd  runne  my  mortall  race, 
Serving  a  Prince  of  most  immortall  fame, 
Henry  the  Eight,  who  of  his  Princely  grace 
In  his  Chapell  allowed  me  a  place. 
By  whose  favour,  from  Gentleman  to  Esquire 
I  was  preferr'd,  with  worship,  for  my  hire. 
With  wives  three  I  joyned  wedlock  band, 
Which  (all  alive)  true  lovers  were  to  me, 
Joane,  Alice,  and  Joane  ;  for  so  they  came  to  hand, 
What  needeth  prayse  regarding  their  degree  ? 
In  wively  truth  none  stedfast  more  could  be. 
Who,  though  on  earth,  death's  force  did  once  dissever, 
Heaven,  yet,  I  trust,  shall  joyn  us  all  together. 

0  Lambe  of  God,  which  sinne  didst  take  away; 
And  as  a  Lambe,  was  offred  up  for  sinne, 
Where  I  (poor  Lambe)  went  from  thy  flock  astray, 
Yet  thou,  good  Lord,  vouchsafe  thy  Lambe  to  winne 
Home  to  thy  folde,  and  holde  thy  Lambe  therein  ; 
That  at  the  day,  when  Lambes  and  Goates  shall  sever, 
Of  thy  choice  Lambes,  Lambe  may  be  one  for  ever. 

1  pray  you  all,  that  receive  Bread  and  Pence, 
To  say  the  Lord's  Prayer  before  ye  go  hence." 

It  is  said,  also,  that  the  old  verses,  so  well  known, 
were  appended  to  the  brass,  or,  rather,  engraved  on  his 
tombstone. 


ClerkenwelL*  187 

"  As  I  was,  so  are  ye,       <v  k^< 
As  I  am,  you  shall  be, 
That  I  had,  that  I  gave, 
That  I  gave,  that  I  have. 
Thus  I  end  all  my  cost, 
That  I  felt,  that  I  lost." 

But  there  is  one  well  must  not  be  lost  sight  of;  for, 
in  its  small  way,  it  was  tributary  to  the  Fleet — and  that 
is  Clerk's  Well,  or  Clerkenwell,  which  gives  its  name  to 
a  large  district  of  London.  It  was  of  old  repute,  for  we 
see,  in  Ralph  Aggas'  Map  of  London,  published  about 
1560,  a  conduit  spouting  from  a  wall,  into  a  stone  tank 
or  trough.  This  is,  perhaps,  the  earliest  pictorial  deli- 
neation of  it ;  but  FitzStephen  mentions  it  under  "fons 
Clericorum"  so  called,  it  is  said,  from  the  Parish  Clerks 
of  London,  who  chose  this  place  for  a  representation  of 
Miracle  Playsy  or  scenes  from  Scripture  realistically  ren- 
dered, as  now  survives  in  the  Ober  Ammergau  Passion 
Play.  This  little  Company,  which  still  exists  as  one  of 
the  City  Guilds,  has  never  attained  to  the  dignity  of 
having  a  livery,  but  they  have  a  Hall  of  their  own  (in 
Silver  Street,  Wood  Street,  E.C.),  and  in  their  time  have 
done  good  service  in  composing  the  "  Bills  of  Mor- 
tality ,  "  and  gruesome  pamphlets  they  were — all  skulls, 
skeletons,  and  cross-bones — especially  during  the  great 
Plague 

These  plays  were,  as  I  have  said,  extremely  realistic. 
One,  played  at  Chester  a.d.  1327,1  represented  Adam 
and  Eve,  both  stark  naked,  but,  afterwards,  they  wore 
fig  leaves.     The  language  used  in  them,  would  to  our 

*  Harl.  MSS.  2013. 


i88 


Clerkenwell, 


ears  be  coarse,  but  it  was  the  language  of  the  time, 
and,  probably,  men  and  women  were  no  worse  than 
they  are  now.  But,  at  all  events  this  Guild,  which  was 
incorporated  in  the  17  Henry  III.  a.d.  1232,  used 
occasionally  to  delight  their  fellow  Citizens  with 
dramatic  representations  in  the  open  air  (as  have  lately 
been  revived  in  the  cc  Pastoral  plays  "  at  Wimbledon) 
at  what  was  then  an  accessible,  and  yet  a  rural,  suburb 
of  London. 

Hence  the  name — but  the  well,  alas,  is  no  more — 
but  when  I  say  that,  I  mean  that  it  is  no  longer  avail- 
able to  the  public.  That  it  does  exist,  is  well  known 
to  the  occupier  of  the  house  where  it  formerly  was  in 
use,  for  the  basement  has  frequently  to  be  pumped  dry. 
The  neighbourhood  has  been  so  altered  of  late  years, 
that  its  absolute  site  was  somewhat  difficult  to  fix ;  yet 
any  one  can  identify  it  for  themselves  from  the  accom- 
panying slight  sketch  of  the  localityas  it  existed  over  sixty 


Srtvjill-Street 


years  since.     Ray  Street  (at  least  this  portion  of  it)  is 


Clerkenwell.  189 

now  termed  Farringdon  Road,  and  what  with  Model 
lodging-houses,  and  underground  railways,  its  physical 
and  geographical  arrangement  is  decidedly  altered. 

Early  in  the  last  century,  in  Queen  Anne's  time, 
the  Spring  had  ceased  to  be  a  conduit,  as  shown  in 
Ralph  Aggas'  Map,  but  had  been  turned  into  a  pump  ; 
and  this  pump  even  was  moved,  in  1800,  to  a  more 
convenient  spot  in  Ray  Street,  where  it  was  in  existence 
(which  I  rather  doubt),  according  to  Pink's  History  of 
Clerkenwell  in  1865.  However,  there  is  very  good 
evidence  of  its  being,  in  an  engraving  dated  May  1, 
1822,  of  the  iC  Clerk's  Well" — which  shows  the  pump, 
and  a  stone  tablet  with  the  following  inscription  : 

"a.d.    1800. 
Willm.  Bound  )   Church- 
Joseph  Bird       J   wardens. 

For  the  better  accommodation  of  the  Neighbour- 
hood, this  Pump  was  removed  to  the  Spot  where  it 
now  Stands.  The  Spring  by  which  it  is  supplied  is 
situated  four  Feet  eastward,  and  round  it,  as  History 
informs  us,  the  Parish  Clerks  of  London  in  remote 
Ages  annually  performed  sacred  Plays.  That  Custom 
caused  it  to  be  denominated  Clerks'  Well,  and  from 
which  this  Parish  derives  its  Name.  The  Water  was 
greatly  esteemed  by  the  Prior  and  Brethren  of  the 
Order  of  St.  John  of  Jerusalem,  and  the  Benedictine 
Nuns  in  the  Neighbourhood." 

In  later  days,  the  Fleet,  as  every  other  stream  on 
whose  banks  houses  are  built,  became  a  sewer,  and 
"  behaved  as  sich  ;  "  so  that  it  was  deemed  prudent  to 


190  Fleet  Market. 

cover  some  portion  of  it,  at  all  events,  and  that  part 
where  now  is  Farringdon  Street,  was  arched  over,  and 
made  into  the  Fleet  Market.  Our  ancestors  were  far 
more  alive  to  the  advantages  of  ready  cash,  and  conse- 
quent keen  competition  among  dealers,  then  we  are, 
although  through  the  medium  of  Co-operative  Stores, 
&c,  we  are  beginning  to  learn  the  lost  lesson,  but,  at 
all  events,  they  had  the  acumen  to  know  that  large 
centres  of  supply  were  cheaper  to  the  consumer  than 
small,  isolated  shops,  and  the  Market,  was  the  out- 
come. It  is  next  to  impossible  to  make  a  Market — 
witness  in  our  own  times,  the  Central  Fish  Market, 
and  Columbia  Market,  both  of  which  are  not  absolute 
failures,  but,  to  use  a  theatrical  slang  term,  frosts — and 
this  was  an  example. 

The  Canal,  up  to  Holborn  Bridge,  was  expensive  to 
keep  up,  and  as  we  saw,  by  the  quotation  from  Ned 
Ward,  it  was  next  door  to  worthless.  Meantime, 
sewage  and  silt  played  their  work,  as  the  stream  was 
neglected,  and,  becoming  a  public  nuisance,  it  was 
arched  over,  pursuant  to  an  Act  6  Geo.  II.  cap.  22, 
entitled  "  An  Act  or  filling  up  such  Part  of  the 
Channell  of  Bridewell  Dock,  and  Fleet  Bridge,  as 
lies  between  Holborn  Bridge  and  Fleet  Bridge,  and  for 
converting  the  Ground,  when  filled  up,  to  the  use  of 
the  City  of  London"  The  works  were  begun  in  1734 
and  was  arched  over  and  finished  in  1735  ;  but,  as 
buildings  are  necessary  for  a  market,  it  was  not  opened, 
as  such,  until  Sept.  30,  1737.  For  nearly  a  century 
it  remained  a  market  for  meat,  fish,  and  vegetables, 
although,    of    course,    the    largest     meat    market    was 


192  Fleet  Market. 

Newgate,  as  being  near  Smithfield ;  and  for  fish, 
Billingsgate,  which  still  maintains  its  pre-eminence. 
But  in  1829  it  was  pulled  down,  in  order  to  make  a 
wider  street  from  Holborn  to  Blackfriars  Bridge  ;  and 
this  part  of  the  Fleet  was  called,  and  now  is,  Farring- 
don  Street. 

The  Vegetable  Market,  for  it  had  come  to  that 
only,  was  swept  away,  and  a  site  found  for  it,  nearly 
opposite  the  Fleet  prison.  It  is  still  so  used,  but  it  is 
not  much  of  a  financial  help  to  the  City,  as  it  only 
brings  in  an  annual  income  (according  to  the  last 
return  I  have  been  able  to  obtain)  of  between  £700 
and  ,£800.  It  was  thought  that  trade  might  be  en- 
couraged, and  revived,  if  it  were  worthier  housed,  so 
what  is  now,  the  Central  Fish  Market,  was  erected; 
but,  before  the  vendors  of  vegetables  could  enter  into 
possession,  a  great  cry  had  arisen  as  to  the  supply  of 
fish  to  London,  and  the  monopoly  of  Billingsgate,  and 
the  market  was  given  over  to  the  fishmongers.  But  it 
is  not  a  success  in  a  monetary  point  of  view  ;  is  a 
great  loss  to  the  City,  and,  as  a  fish  market,  a  very 
doubtful  boon  to  the  public. 

The  Fleet  Prison,  which  was  on  the  east  side  of 
Farringdon  Street,  will  be  noticed  in  its  place  ;  and,  as 
We  have  seen,  the  river  was  arched  over  from  Holborn 
to  Fleet  Bridge,  after  which  it  still  flowed,  an  open 
sewer,  into  the  Thames. 

But,  before  going  farther,  we  must  needs  glance  at  a 
curious  little  bit  of  Fleet  history,  which  is  to  be  found  in 
"The  Secret  History  of  the  Rye  House  Plot,  and 
Monmouth's  Rebellion,"  written  by  Ford.     Lord  Grey 


Rye  House  Plot. 


93 


who  was  a  party  to  the  plot,  addressed  it  to  James  the 
Second,  1685,  but  it  was  not  printed  until  1754.  In 
p.  28  it  states,  "  About  the  latter  end  of  Oct.  Monmouth 
s'd  to  Sir  Thos.  Armstrong  and  Lord  Grey,  that  it  was 
necessary  for  them  to  view  the  passage  into  the  City, 
which,  accordingly  they  did,  from  the  lower  end  of 
Fleet-ditch,  next  the  river,  to  the  other  end  of  it,  by 
Snow  Hill."  And  again  (p.  34)  :  "  Sunday  night  was 
pitched  upon  for  the  rising  in  London,  as  all  shops 
would  be  shut.  Their  men  were  to  be  armed  at  the 
Duke  of  Monmouth's  in  Hedge  Lane,  Northumber- 
land House,  Bedford  House,  and  four  or  five  meeting 
houses  in  the  City. 

"  The  first  alarm  was  designed  to  be  between  eleven 
and  twelve  at  night,  by  attacking  the  train  bands  at 
the  Royal  Exchange,  and  then  possessing  ourselves  of 
Newgate,  Ludgate,  and  Aldersgate.  The  first  two 
gates  we  did  not  design  to  defend,  unless  we  were 
beaten  from  Fleet  Bridge  and  Snow  Hill,  where  we 
intended  to  receive  the  first  attack  of  the  King's 
Guards.  At  Snow  Hill,  we  intended  to  make  a 
Barricade,  and  plant  three  or  four  pieces  of  Cannon, 
upon  Ship's  Carriages ;  at  Fleet  Bridge  we  designed  to 
use  our  Cannon  upon  the  carriages,  and  to  make  a 
breast-work  for  our  musqeteers  on  each  side  of  the 
bridge  next  us,  and  to  fill  the  houses  on  that  side  the 
ditch  with  men  who  should  fire  from  the  windows,  but 
the  bridge  to  be  clear." 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  there  seem  to  have  been  two 
bridges  over  the  Fleet,  crossing  it  at  Fleet  Street  and 
Ludgate     Hill,    both    side    by    side,    as    at     Holborn. 

14 


194  Fleet  Bridge. 

Crosby,  upon  whose  collection  I  have  so  largely 
drawn,  says  that  it  is  so,  from  personal  observation, 
one  bridge  being  24  ft.  6  in.,  and  the  other,  24  ft. 
wide,  making  in  all,  a  roadway  of  48  ft.  6  in.  presum- 
ably including  parapets.  From  his  measurements,  the 
span  of  the  bridge  was  12  ft.,  and  the  height  of  the 
arch  was  11  ft.  6  in.,  but  he  does  not  say  whence  he 
takes  his  measurement — from  the  bottom  of  the  Fleet, 
or  from  the  river  level. 

To  this  measurement  hangs  a  tale,  which  is  best  told 
in  Crosby's  own  words,  from  a  memo  of  his  in  the 
Guildhall  Library: — 

"Fleet  Bridge,  Tuesday,  July  28th,  1840.  As  I 
could  not  depend  upon  the  admeasurements  which,  at 
the  beginning  of  the  year,  I  had  taken  in  a.  hurried 
manner,  at  Fleet  Bridges,  while  bricklayers  were  placing 
in  a  brick  bottom  in  place  of  the  original  one  or 
alluvial  soil,  I  determined  to  obtain  them  the  first 
opportunity.  This  evening,  therefore,  at  ten  o'clock, 
I  met  Bridgewater,  one  of  the  workmen  employed  in 
constructing  the  New  Sewer  from  Holborn  Bridge  to 
Clerkenwell,  by  appointment,  at  the  Hoard  there, 
water  boots  being  in  readiness.  I  lighted  my  lamps, 
and,  assisted  by  the  watchmen,  King  and  Arion,  we 
descended  the  ladder,  and  got  into  that  branch  of  the 
sewer  which  joins  Wren's  bridge,  at  Holborn.  We 
then  walked  carefully  till  we  reached  Fleet  Bridge.  I 
suspended  my  Argand  lamp  on  the  Breakwater  of  the 
Sewer,  and  with  my  Lanthorn  light  we  proceeded 
towards  the  Thames.     We  got  a  considerable  distance, 


Fleet  Bridge.  195 

during  which  the  channel  of  the  Sewer  twice  turned 
to  the  right,  at  a  slight  angle,  the  last  portion  we 
entered,  was  barrelled  at  the  bottom,  the  middle  so  full 
of  holes,  and  the  water  so  deep,  as  we  approached  the 
Thames,  that  we  thought  it  prudent  to  return  to  Fleet 
bridge."  (Here  they  lit  up  and  took  measurements). 
"  All  went  well  till  about  a  quarter  to  twelve  o'clock, 
when  to  our  surprise  we  found  the  Tide  had  suddenly 
come  in  to  the  depth  of  two  feet  and  a  half.  No  time 
was  to  be  lost,  but  I  had  only  one  more  admeasure- 
ment to  make,  viz.,  the  width  of  the  north  bridge.  I 
managed  this,  and  we  then  snatched  up  the  basket,  and 
holding  our  Lamps  aloft,  dashed  up  the  Sewer,  which 
we  had  to  get  up  one  half  before  out  of  danger.  The 
air  was  close,  and  made  us  faint.  However  we  got 
safe  to  Holborn  Bridge.  .  .  ." 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


H 


ATTON,  writing  in  1708,  says:  "Fleet  Bridge 
is  even  with  the  Str(eet)  ;  it  leads  from  Fleet 
Street  over  the  Fleet  Ditch  to  Ludgate  Hill ;  is 
accommodated  with  strong  Battlements  which  are 
adorned  with  six  Peers  and  enriched  with  the  Arms  of 
London,  and  Supporters  Pine-apples,  &c,  all  of  Stone  ; 
and  bet(wee)n  the  Peers  are  Iron  Rails  and  Bannisters, 
on  the  N.  &  S.  sides  of  the  Bridge." 

On  either  side  of  where  the  Bridge  used  to  be,  are 
two  obelisks,  one  on  the  North,  or  Farringdon  Street 
side,  to  Alderman  Waithman,  and  on  the  South,  or 
Bridge  Street  side,  to  John  Wilkes  the  notorious.  The 
first  bears  the  following  inscription  : — 

Erected 
to  the  memory 

OF 

Robert 
Waithman 

by 

his  friends  and 

fellow  citizens, 

M.D.C.C.C.XXXIIL 


198  Alderman    Waithman. 

This  Alderman  Waithman  was  almost  one  of  the 
typical  class  so  often  held  up  as  an  example  for  all  poor 
boys  to  follow,  i.e.,  he  began  life  with  simply  his  own 
energy,  and  opportunity  to  help  him.  And,  as  a 
virtuous  example  of  industry,  when  the  times  were  not 
so  pushing  as  now ;  and  half,  and  quarter,  or  less 
commissions  on  transactions  were  unknown,  we  may 
just  spend  a  minute  in  reading  about  him.  Wrexham 
was  his  birthplace  in  1764,  and  his  father  dying  soon 
after,  he  was  adopted  by  his  uncle  and  sent  to  school. 
No  one  was  then  left  very  many  years  in  statu  pupil- 
lari,  and,  consequently,  he  had  to  join  his  uncle  in 
business,  as  a  linendraper  at  Bath.  The  uncle  died  in 
1788,  and  he  took  a  place  at  Reading,  whence  he 
came  to  London,  and  lived  as  a  linendraper's  assis- 
tant until  he  came  of  age.  He  then  married,  and 
opened  a  shop  at  the  South  end  of  the  Fleet  Market, 
nearly  precisely  on  the  spot  where  his  monument  now 
stands. 

He  prospered  in  business,  and  moved  to  other,  and 
larger  premises,  became  Common  Councilman,  tried 
to  get  into  Parliament  for  the  City,  and  ultimately 
succeeded  in  181 8.  Next  election  he  lost  it,  but  in  all 
subsequent  ones  he  was  the  favoured  candidate.  He  was 
Alderman  of  Farringdon  Without,  Sheriff,  and  filled 
the  office  of  Mayor  in  1823-4.  The  obelisk  to  his 
memory  remains,  but  he  has  dropped  out  of  general 
memory,  and  this  revival  of  his  life,  for  imitation,  in 
industry  and  rectitude  of  conduct,  must  be  my  excuse 
for  taking  up  my  readers'  time. 

Far  different  is  it  with  John  Wilkes,  about  whom 


John  Wilkes.  199 

every  one  knows,  and  I  have  only  to  say  that  his  obelisk 
bears  the  inscription — 

A.D. 
M.D.C.C.LXXV. 

The  Right 

Honorable 

John       Wilkes, 

Lord  Mayor. 

This  inscription  became  effaced  through  the  weather, 
and  was,  within  the  last  few  years,  replaced  with  a  new 
stone ;  but  it  was  grumbled  at  for  not  having  the 
original  word  "  Esquire"  after  John  Wilkes,  which  was 
surely  a  work  of  supererogation. 

Close  by  was  Ludgate,  with  its  debtors'  prison  of 
Lud-gate,  which  was  rather  aristocratic,  being  "  purely 
for  Insolvent  Citizens  of  London,  Beneficed  Clergy,  and 
Attorneys  at  Law,"  and  which  was  even  peculiar  in  the 
time  when  it  existed ;  for  Maitland,  in  his  "  History  or 
London"  (edc  1775,  pp.  28,  29)  says:  — 

"  The  domestick  Government  of  this  Prison  having 
something  very  singular  and  remarkable  in  it,  I  pre- 
sume an  Account  thereof  will  not  be  unacceptable  to 
the  Reader.  I  shall,  therefore,  insert  a  compendious 
Abstract  thereof  from  an  Account  published  some  Time 
ago  by  one  who  had  been  a  long  Time  Prisoner  there. 

"  For  the  quiet  and  good  Government  of  this  Prison, 
and  the  Punishment  of  Crimes  and  Misdemeanors  there- 
in committed,  the  Master  Keeper  and  Prisoners  from 
among  themselves  chuse  the  following  Officers,  viz., 
A  Reader  of  Divine  Service :  an  upper  Steward,  called 


200  LuDGATE    PRISON. 

the  Master  of  the  Box ;  an  Under  Steward ;  seven 
Assistants,  who  by  Turns  officiate  daily ;  a  Running 
Assistant ;  two  Churchwardens ;  a  Scavenger ;  a 
Chamberlain ;  a  Running  Post ;  and  the  Criers  or 
Beggars  at  the  Gates,  who  are  generally  six  in  number.' 

"  The  Reader  is  chosen  by  the  Master  Keeper, 
Stewards,  and  Assistants,  and  not  at  a  General  Election, 
as  the  other  Officers  are.  The  Reader,  besides  reading 
Prayers,  was,  originally,  obliged  to  Ring  the  Bell  twice 
a  Day  for  Prayers,  and  also  for  the  Space  of  a  Quarter 
of  an  Hour  before  Nine  at  Night,  as  a  Warning  for  all 
Strangers  to  depart  the  Prison ;  but  for  the  Dignity  of 
his  Office,  he  is  now  exempt  from  those  Services,  and 
others  in  his  stead  are  appointed  to  perform  them. 
This  Officer's  salary  is  two  Shillings  and  eight  Pence 
per  Month,  and  a  Penny  of  every  Prisoner  at  his 
Entrance,  if  his  Garnish1  amount  to  sixteen  Pence;  and 
a  Dish  of  Meat  out  of  the  Lord  Mayor's  Basket. 

"  The  Upper  Steward,  or  Master  of  the  Box,  is,  by 
all  the  Prisoners  held  in  equal  Esteem  with  the  Keeper 
of  the  Prison ;  and  to  his  Charge  is  committed  the 
keeping  of  all  the  several  Orders  of  the  House,  with 
the  Accounts  of  Cash  received  upon  Legacies ;  the 
Distribution  of  all  the  Provisions  sent  in  by  the  Lord 
Mayor,  and  others ;  the  cash  received  by  Garnish,  and 
begging  at  the  Grates,  which  he  weekly  lays  out  in 
Bread,  Candles,  and  other  Necessaries.  He  likewise 
keeps  a  List  of  all  the  Prisoners,  as   well  those   that 

1  "Garnish"  was  the  footing  that  every  prisoner  paid  on  his 
entrance,  and  woe  become  him  if  it  were  not  forthcoming;  he  was 
simply  stripped  of  his  clothes. 


Ludgate  Prison.  201 

are  upon  the  Chanty,  as  those  that  are  not ;  to  each  of 
whom,  by  the  Aid  of  the  Assistant  for  the  Day,  he  dis- 
tributes their  several  proportions  of  Bread  and  other 
Provisions.  He  receives  the  Gifts  of  the  Butchers, 
Fishmongers,  Poulterers,  and  other  Market  People,  sent 
in  by  the  Clerk  of  the  Market,  by  the  Running  Post, 
for  which  he  gives  a  Receipt,  and,  afterwards,  in  the 
Presence  of  the  Assistant  for  the  Day,  exposes  for  Sale 
to  the  Charity  Men,  by  Way  of  Market;  and  the 
Money  arising  thereby  is  deposited  in  the  Common 
Stock,  or  Bank. 

"  This  Officer,  with  the  Under  Steward,  Assistants, 
and  Church-wardens,  are  elected  monthly  by  the 
Suffrages  of  the  Prisoners  ;  but  all  the  other  Officers, 
except  the  Chamberlain,  are  appointed  by  the  Master- 
Keeper,  Stewards,  and  Assistants.  The  Design  of 
these  frequent  Elections,  is  to  prevent  Frauds  and 
Abuses  in  the  respective  Officers  ;  but,  when  they  are 
known  to  be  Men  of  Probity,  they  are  generally  re- 
elected, and  often  continue  in  such  Posts  many  Months. 
The  Monday  after  every  Election,  the  Accounts  are 
audited  and  passed,  and  the  Balance  divided ;  and, 
if  it  amount  to  three  Shillings  and  four  Pence  per 
Man,  the  Keeper  of  the  Prison  arbitrarily  extorts  from 
each  Prisoner  two  Shillings  and  Four  Pence,  without 
the  least  Colour  of  Right :  But,  if  the  Dividend  arises 
not  so  high,  then  he  only  takes  one  Shilling  and  two 
Pence  ;  the  other  Moiety  being  charged  to  the  Prisoner's 
Account,  to  be  paid  at  the  Time  of  his  Discharge  ; 
which  new  and  detestable  Impositions  are  apparently 
contrary  to  the  Intention  of  the  Founder. 


202  LUDGATE    PRISON. 

"  Another  great  Grievance  the  distressed  and  miser- 
able Prisoners  are  subject  to,  is,  their  being  obliged  to 
pay  the  Turnkey  twelve  Shillings  per  Month,  for  no 
other  Service  than  that  of  opening  the  Door  to  let  in 
Gifts  and  Charities  sent  to  the  Prison,  which  often 
amount  to  little  more  than  what  he  receives. 

"  The  Under  Steward  is  an  Assistant,  or  Deputy,  to 
the  Upper  Steward,  in  whose  Absence  or  Indisposition 
he  performs  the  several  Functions  of  his  Office. 

"  The  Assistants,  being  seven  in  Number,  are  chosen 
Monthly  with  the  Stewards ;  one  whereof,  officiating 
daily,  his  Business  is  to  attend  in  the  Hall,  to  enter  all 
Charities,  and  keep  an  Account  of  the  Money  taken  out 
of  the  Boxes,  which  are  opened  at  five  o'Clock  in  the 
Afternoon,  and  at  Nine  at  Night ;  which  Money  he 
pays  to  the  Upper  Steward,  at  the  passing  of  whose 
Accounts  the  Assistants  are  Auditors. 

"  Every  Person  put  in  Nomination  for  the  Office  of 
an  Assistant,  refusing  to  serve,  forfeits  one  Shilling  to 
the  Use  of  the  Publick,  or,  in  lieu  thereof,  to  be  put  in 
Fetters  for  three  Days.  The  officiating  Assistant  is 
invested  with  a  magisterial  Power,  whereby  he  can 
commit  a  Prisoner  to  the  Stocks  or  Shackles,  for  the 
Abuse  of  any  Person.  This  Officer  is  to  see  the  Cellar 
cleared  every  Night,  by  ten  o'Clock  of  all  the  Prisoners ; 
for  which  he  receives  six  Pence  out  of  the  Charity 
Money  ;  two  Pence  whereof  to  his  own  Use,  two  Pence 
to  the  Upper  Steward,  and  two  Pence  to  the  Running 
Assistant.  This  Office  was  anciently  in  such  Esteem, 
that  the  Assistant,  at  his  entering  upon  it,  used  nightly, 
at  Eight  o'Clock,  to  be   ushered  into  the  Hall,  by  an 


Ludgate  Prison. 


203 


Illumination  of  forty  or  fifty  great  Candles,  carried  by 
so  many  Prisoners. 

"  The  Running  Assistant's  Business  is,  to  attend  upon 
the  Criers  at  the  Gates,  to  change  Money  ;  and  open 
the  Boxes :  to  put  up  Candles  in  their  respective 
Places,  attend  upon  the  Stewards  and  Assistants,  look 
after  the  Clock,  ring  the  Bell  for  Prayers ;  and  to  be 
Crier  at  the  Sale  of  Provisions.  His  Salary  is  four 
Shillings  and  eight  Pence  per  Month,  and  an  eighth 
part  of  the  Garnish  Money. 

"  The  Churchwardens  are  chosen  from  among  the 
youngest  Prisoners.  The  Upper  Warden's  Office  is,  to 
call  to  Prayers  on  Sundays,  after  the  Bell  has  done 
ringing;  and  the  Under  Warden's  is  to  call  the  Pri- 
soners to  Prayers  all  other  Days.  They  are  likewise 
to  take  cognizance  of  all  Persons  who  are  upon  the 
Charity  Foundation  ;  who  in  default  of  Attendance  are 
fined  one  Penny  each.  The  Under  Warden's  Salary 
for  this  Service  is  four  Pence  per  Month ;  and  the 
Penalty  for  not  serving,  when  duly  elected,  is  four 
Pence. 

"  The  Scavenger's  Office  is,  to  keep  clean  the  Prison, 
and  to  fetter,  and  put  in  the  Stocks  all  Offenders ;  for 
which  he  is  intitled  to  receive  from  each  Criminal  one 
Penny,  together  with  a  Salary  of  five  Shillings  and 
eight  Pence  per  Month,  and  two  Pence  out  of  every 
sixteen  Pence  of  the  Garnish  Money. 

"  The  Chamberlain  is  chosen  by  the  Keeper  of  the 
Prison,  whose  Office  it  is  to  take  Care  of  all  the  Bedding 
and  Linen  belonging  to  the  Keeper ;  to  place  Men  at 
their  coming  in,  and  to  furnish  them  with  Sheets,  and 


204  LUDGATE    PRISON. 

to  give  Notice  to  Strangers  to  depart  the  Prison  by 
Ten  o'Clock  at  Night.  This  Officer,  formerly,  was 
obliged  to  make  the  Charity-Men's  Beds,  for  which  he 
received  two  Pence  per  Month. 

"  The  Running  Post's  Business  is,  to  fetch  in  a 
Basket  the  broken  Meat  from  the  Lord-Mayor,  Clerk 
of  the  Market,  private  Families,  and  Charities  given  in 
the  Streets,  which  are  often  so  inconsiderable  as  not  to 
admit  of  a  Dividend ;  wherefore  it  is  disposed  of  by 
Sale  or  publick  Market,  as  aforesaid.  The  Salary 
annexed  to  this  office,  is  four  Shillings  per  Month ;  one 
Penny  per  Month  out  of  each  Man's  Dividend,  and 
one  Penny  out  of  every  sixteen  Pence  of  Garnish 
money. 

"  The  Criers  are  six  in  Number  ;  two  whereof  daily 
beg  at  the  Grates  ;  he  at  the  Grate  within  is  allowed 
one  Fourth  of  what  is  given,  and  he  at  that  on  Black- 
Friars  Side  one  Moiety  of  what  is  given  there." 

This  custom  is  alluded  to  in  the  Spectator ',  No.  lxxxii. : 
"  Passing  under  Ludgate  the  other  Day  I  heard  a 
Voice  bawling  for  Charity,  which  I  thought  I  had 
somewhere  heard  before.  Coming  near  to  the  Grate, 
the  Prisoner  called  me  by  my  Name,  and  desired  I 
would  throw  something  into  the  Box.  I  was  out  of 
Countenance  for  him,  and  did  as  he  bid  me,  by  putting 
in  half  a  Crown." 

Of  this  Grate  there  is  a  pretty  and  romantic  story 
told  by  Stow.1 

"  When  the    Prison    was  in    this  Condition,    there 

1  Strype's  "  Stow's  Survey,"  cd.  1720,  vol.  ii.  p.  26  appendix. 


Sir  Stephen  Foster.  205 

happened  to  be  Prisoner  there  one  Stephen  Foster^ 
who  (as  poor  Men  are  at  this  Day)  was  a  Cryer 
at  the  Grate,  to  beg  the  benevolent  Charities  of  pious 
and  commiserate  Benefactors  that  passed  by.  As  he 
was  doing  his  doleful  Office,  a  rich  Widow  of  London 
hearing  his  Complaint,  enquired  of  him,  what  would 
release  him  ?  To  which  he  answered,  Twenty  Pound, 
which  she  in  Charity  expended  ;  and,  clearing  him  out 
of  Prison,  entertained  him  in  her  Service ;  who,  after- 
ward, falling  into  the  Way  of  Merchandize,  and  in- 
creasing as  well  in  Wealth  as  Courage,  wooed  his 
Mistress,  Dame  Agnes,  and  married  her. 

"  Her  Riches  and  his  Industry  brought  him  both 
great  Wealth  and  Honour,  being  afterwards  no  less 
than  Sir  Stephen  Foster ",  Lord  Mayor  of  the  Honourable 
City  of  London  :  Yet  whilst  he  lived  in  this  great 
Honour  and  Dignity,  he  forgat  not  the  Place  of  his 
Captivity,  but,  mindful  of  the  sad  and  irksome  Place 
wherein  poor  Men  were  imprisoned,  bethought  himself 
of  enlarging  it,  to  make  it  a  little  more  delightful  and 
pleasant  for  those  who  in  after  Times  should  be  im- 
prisoned and  shut  up  therein.  And,  in  order  there- 
unto, acquainted  his  Lady  with  this  his  pious  Purpose 
and  Intention  ;  in  whom  likewise  he  found  so  affable 
and  willing  a  Mind  to  do  Good  to  the  Poor,  that  she 
promised  to  expend  as  much  as  he  should  do  for  the 
carrying  on  of  the  Work." 

And  they  did  spend  their  money  on  it  right  royally, 
building,  amongst  many  other  conveniences,  a  Chapel 
for  the  inmates,  a.d.  1454,  which  they  endowed,  so  as 
to  maintain   a   "  preacher  "   or  chaplain.     Sir   Stephen 


2o6  Sir  Stephen  Foster. 

Foster  likewise  provided  that  the  place  "  should  be  free 
for  all  Freemen,  and  that  they,  providing  their  own 
Bedding,  should  pay  nothing  at  their  Departure  for 
Lodging,  or  Chamber  rent  (as  now  they  call  it),  which 
to  many  poor  Men  becomes  oftentimes  as  burdensome 
as  their  Debts,  and  are  by  the  Keeper  detained  in 
Prison  as  for  Debt,  only  for  their  Fees,  though  dis- 
charged and  acquitted  of  what  they  were  committed 
for." 

Nor  did  his  charitable  goodness  end  here,  for  he 
gave  a  supply  of  water  gratis  to  the  prisoners,  as  was 
recorded  on  a  brass  in  the  Chapel,  very  pithily — 

"  Devout  Souls  that  pass  this  way 
For  Stephen  Forster,  late  Maior,  heartily  pray, 
And  Dame  Agnes,  his  Spouse,  to  God  consecrate, 
That  of  Pity  this  House  made  for  Londoners  in  Ludgate. 
So  that  for  Lodging  and  Water,  Prisoners  have  nought  to  pay, 
As  their  Keepers  shall  all  answer  at  dreadful  Doomsday." 

"Dame  Agnes  survived  her  husband,  but  was  ulti- 
mately buried  by  his  side  in  the  Church  of  St.  Botolph, 
Billingsgate. 

For  a  Prison,  Ludgate  compared  more  than  favour- 
ably with  every  other  in  London.  As  we  have  seen, 
the  prisoners  were  select ;  they  were  helped,  in  the 
matter  of  food,  by  the  king  of  the  City,  the  Lord 
Mayor  :  their  fees  were  infinitesimal  as  compared  with 
other  debtors'  prisons.  Strype  (ed.  1720,  book  ii. 
p.  179)  says:— 

"  Formerly  Debtors  that  were  not  able  to  satisfy 
their    Debts,    put    themselves    into    this    Prison    of 


Ludgate  Prison.  207 

Ludgate,  for  shelter  from  their  Creditors.  And 
these  were  Merchants  and  Tradesmen  that  had  been 
driven  to  want  by  Losses  at  Sea.  When  King  Philip 
in  the  Month  of  August  1554  came  first  through 
London,  these  prisoners  were  Thirty  in  number  ;  and 
owed  ^10,000,  but  compounded  for  ^2,000.  Who 
presented  a  well  penned  Latin  Speech  to  that  Prince,  to 
redress  their  Miseries,  and,  by  his  Royal  Generosity,  to 
free  them.  '  And  the  rather,  for  that  that  Place  was 
not  Sceleratorum  Career,  sed  miser  or  um  Custodia ;  i.e.,  a 
Gaol  for  Villains,  but  a  Place  of  Restraint  for  poor 
unfortunate  Men.  And  that  they  were  put  in  there, 
not  by  others,  but  themselves  fled  thither ;  and  that  not 
out  of  fear  of  Punishment,  but  in  hope  of  better 
Fortune/  The  whole  Letter  was  drawn  by  the  curious 
Pen  of  Roger  Ascham,  and  is  extant  among  his  Epistles, 
Lib.  iii. 

"  If  a  Freeman  or  Freewoman  of  London  be  com- 
mitted to  Ludgate,  they  are  to  be  excused  from  the 
ignominy  of  Irons,  if  they  can  find  Sureties  to  be  true 
Prisoners,  and  if  the  Sum  be  not  above  £100.  There 
is  another  Custom  of  the  liberal  and  mild  Imprisonment 
of  the  Citizens  in  Ludgate,  whereby  they  have  Indul- 
gence and  Favour  to  go  abroad  into  any  place  by  Baston, 
as  we  term  it,  under  the  guard  and  superintendency  of 
their  Keeper,  with  whom  they  must  return  again  to  the 
Prison  at  Night."     ' 


CHAPTER  XVIL 

THE  Course  of  the  Fleet  is  nearly  run,  but,  before 
closing  this  account  of  the  river,  we  should  not 
forget  the  residence  of  the  mighty  King-maker, 
the  Earl  of  Warwick,  whose  pleasant  gardens  ran  down 
to  the  Fleet ;  and  there,  in  Warwick  Lane  after  the 
great  Fire,  was  built  the  College  of  Physicians,  de- 
scribed thus  by  Dr.  Garth,  in  his  "  Dispensary  "  : — - 

"Not  far  from  that  most  celebrated  Place, 
Where  angry  Justice  shews  her  awful  Face  ; 
Where  little  Villains  must  submit  to  Fate, 
That  great  ones  may  enjoy  the  World  in  State  ; 
There  stands  a  Dome,  majestick  to  the  sight, 
And  sumptuous  Arches  bear  its  oval  height; 
A  golden  Globe  plac'd  high  with  artful  skill, 
Seems,  to  the  distant  sight,  a  gilded  Pill." 

Here  they  were  housed  until  1825,  and,  from  the 
Fleet,  could  be  seen  the  Apothecaries'  Hall,  in  Water 
Lane,  Blackfriars, 


210  Bridewell. 

"  Nigh  where  Fleet  Ditch  descends  in  sable  Streams 
To  wash  his  sooty  Naiads  in  the  Tha?nes  ; 
There  stands  a  Structure  on  a  Rising  Hill, 
Where  Tyro's  take  their  Freedom  out  to  Kill." 

Then  there  was  the  Monastery  of  the  Dominicans, 
or  Black-friars,  which  has  given  its  name  to  a  whole 
district ;  and  there  was  a  fortification,  or  postern,  on 
the  little  river,  near  Ludgate  Hill ;  and,  close  to  its 
junction  with  the  Thames,  was  Bridewell  Bridge,  so 
called  from  the  Royal  Palace  of  that  name,  which,  in 
its  turn,  received  its  cognomen  from  another  well,  which 
went  to  form  the  "  River  of  Wells,"  St.  Bridget's  or 
Bride's  Well.  This  bridge  is  shown  in  the  frontispiece, 
and  was  necessarily  made  very  high  in  order  to  allow 
sailing  craft  to  go  under  it. 

It  was  here  that  Pope,  in  his  "  Dunciad  "  (book  ii.), 
thus  sings : 

"  This  labour  past,  by  Bridewell  all  descend, 
(As  morning  pray'r,  and  flagellation  end) 
To  where  Fleet-ditch  with  disemboguing  streams 
Rolls  the  large  tribute  of  dead  dogs  to  Thames, 
The  King  of  Dykes  !   than  whom,  no  sluice  of  mud, 
With  deeper  sable  blots  the  silver  flood. 
'  Here  strip,  my  children  !   here  at  once  leap  in, 
Here  prove  who  best  can  dash  thro'  thick  and  thin.'  "  l 

Ward  bursts  into  song  over  Bridewell,  thus  : — 

"  'Twas  once  the  Palace  of  a  Prince, 
If  we  may  Books  Confide  in  ; 
But  given  was,  by  him  long  since, 
For  Vagrants  to  Reside  in." 


1  See  next  page. 


BRIDEWELL   BRIDGE. 


2  12  MONTFICHET    CaSTLE. 

The  Royal  Palace  of  Bridewell  stood  on  the  site  of 
the  Castle  of  Montfichet,  who  is  believed  to  have  come 
over  with  William  the  Conqueror.  Tradition  assigns 
it  a  still  earlier  date,  even  Roman,  but  then,  I  don't  say 
there  was  not  a  Roman  fortress  here,  but  I  cannot  say 
there  was.  Certainly  Cardinal  Wolsey  lived  here,  and 
Henry  VIII.  held  occasional  Court. 

Strype,  in  his  edition  of  Stow  (1720)  says  that  after 
the  destruction  of  Montfichet  Castle  and  its  Stone  being 
given  away  : — 

"  This  Tower  or  Castle  being  thus  destroyed,  stood, 
as  it  may  seem,  in  Place  where  now  standeth  the  House 
called  Bridewell.  For,  notwithstanding  the  Destruction 
of  the  said  Castle  or  Tower,  the  House  remained  large, 
so  that  the  Kings  of  this  Realm  long  after  were  lodged 
there  and  kept  their  Courts.  For,  in  the  Ninth  Year 
of  Henry  the  Third,  the  Courts  of  Law,  and  Justice 
were  kept  in  the  King's  House,  wheresoever  he  was 
lodged,  and  not  else  where.  And  that  the  Kings  have 
been  lodged,  and  kept  their  Law  Courts  in  this  Place, 
I  could  shew  you  many  Authorities  of  Record.  .  .  . 

"  More,  (as  Matthew  Paris  hath)  about  the  Year 
1 2 10,  King  John,  in  the  Twelfth  Year  of  his  Reign, 
summoned  a  Parliament  at  S.  Brides  in  London  ;  where 
he  exacted  of  the  Clergy,  and  Religious  Persons  the  Sum 
of  One  Hundred  Thousand  Pounds ;  And  besides  all 
this,  the  White  Monks  were  compelled  to  cancel  their 
Privileges,  and  to  pay  ^4000  to  the  King,  &c.  This 
House  of  S.  Brides  (of  later  Time)  being  left,  and  not 
used  by  the   Kings,  fell    to   Ruin;  insomuch   that  the 


Bridewell.  213 

very  Platform  thereof  remained  (for  great  part)  waste, 
and  as  it  were,  but  a  Lay  Stall  of  Filth  and  Rubbish, 
only  a  fair  Well  remained  there.  A  great  part  whereof, 
namely,  on  the  West,  as  hath  been  said,  was  given  to 
the  Bishop  of  Salisbury  ;  the  other  Part  toward  the 
East  remained  waste,  until  King  Henry  the  Eighth 
builded  a  stately  and  beautiful  House,  thereupon,  giving 
it  to  Name,  Bridewell,  of  the  Parish  and  Well  there. 
This  House  he  purposely  builded  for  the  Entertainment 
of  the  Emperor  Charles  the  Fifth  ;  l  who  in  the  Year 
1522  came  into  this  City.  .  .  .  Being  in  Decay,  and 
long  disused,  King  Edward  VI.  gave  it  to  the  City  in 
the  Seventh  2  Year  of  his  Reign. 

"It  is  seated  near  to  Blackfriars ;  from  which  it  is 
severed  by  the  Canal  of  the  Fleet-ditch.  It  was  obtained 
of  the  King  at  first  for  an  Harbour  of  poor  Harbour- 
less  People,  that  lay  abroad  in  the  Streets.  It  was  soon 
after  improved  to  be  a  Workhouse,  not  only  to  give 
Lodging  to  poor,  idle,  wandring  Persons,  Beggars,  and 
others;  but  to  find  them  Work,  to  help  to  maintain 
themselves.  But  tho'  this  was  granted  in  the  Year  1 553, 
yet  it  seems,  it  was  not  before  Two  Years  after,  that 
the  City  entred  and  took  possession  of  it  by  Gerard  their 
Maior,  having  obtained  Queen  Marys  Confirmation. 

"In  the  time  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  about  the  Yeai 
1570  and  odd,  one  John  Pain,  a  Citizen,  invented  a 
Mill  to  grind  Corn  ;  which  he  got  recommended  to  the 
Lord  Maior,  for  the  Use  of  Bridewell-.  This  Mill  had 
Two  Conveniences  :  One  was,  That  it  would  grind  a 
greater  Quantity  considerably  than  any  other  Mills  of 

1  Of  Spain.  2  a.d.  1553. 


414  Bridewell. 

that  Sort  could  do.  And  the  other  (which  would  render 
it  so  useful  to  Bridewell)  was,  That  the  Lame,  either  in 
Arms  or  Legs,  might  work  at  it,  if  they  had  but  the 
Use  of  either.  And,  accordingly,  these  Mills  were 
termed  Hand-Mills  or  Foot-Mills. 

"  This  Mill  he  shewed  to  the  Lord  Maior,  who  saw 
it  grind  as  much  Corn  with  the  Labour  of  Two  Men, 
as  they  did  then  at  Bridewell  with  Ten.  That  is  to 
say,  Two  Men  with  Hands,  two  Bushels  the  Hour; 
or  Two  Men  with  Feet,  two  Bushels  the  Hour.  If 
they  were  Lame  in  their  Arms,  then  they  might  earn 
their  Livings  with  their  Legs.  If  Lame  in  their  Legs, 
then  they  might  earn  their  Livings  with  their  Arms." — 
This,  perhaps,  is  the  earliest  mention  of  the  treadmill, 
as  a  punishment. 

Still  quoting  Strype,  (same  edition)  :  "  The  Use  of 
this  Hospital  now  is  for  an  House  of  Correction,  and  to 
be  a  Place  where  all  Strumpets,  Night-walkers,  Pick- 
pockets, vagrant  and  idle  Persons,  that  are  taken  up  for 
their  ill  Lives,  as  also  incorrigible  and  disobedient  Ser- 
vants, are  committed  by  the  Mayor  and  Aldermen,  who 
are  Justices  of  the  Peace  within  the  said  City ;  And 
being  so  committed  are  forced  to  beat  Hemp  in  publick 
View,  with  due  Correction  of  whipping,  according  to 
their  Offence,  for  such  a  Time  as  the  President  and 
Court  shall  see  Cause." 

Bridewell  is  well  shown  by  Hogarth  in  the  fourth 
picture  of  the  "  Harlot's  progress,"  where  both  men  and 
women  are  seen  "  beetling"  hemp.1 

1  A  Beetle  is  a  portion  of  a  trunk  of  a  tree,  large  or  small  as 
occasion  demanded,  sometimes  more  than  one  man  could  lift,  vide 


Fuller  on  Bridewell.  215 

In  a  very  rare  tract  called  "  Mr.  William  Fuller's 
Trip  to  Bridewell"  (1703)  he  gives  a  fairly  graphic 
description  of  a  prisoner's  entry  therein.  "  As  soon  as 
I  came  there,  the  Word  was  Strip,  pull  off  your  Cloaths^ 
and  with  much  intreaty,  I  prevail'd  to  keep  on  my 
Westcoat ;  then  I  was  set  to  a  Block,  a  punny  of 
Hemp  was  laid  thereon,  and  Ralph  Cumpton  (a  Journy 
Man  in  the  Shop)  presented  me  with  a  Beatle,  bidding 
me  knock  the  Hemp  with  that,  as  fast  as  I  could. 
This  Beatle  is  of  Brazel,1  and  weigh'd  about  12 
pounds." 

Previously  to  this,  poor  Fuller  had  to  stand  twice  in 
the  pillory,  on  one  of  which  occasions  he  was  nearly 
killed  by  the  mob,  and  when  taken  to  Bridewell,  all 
black  and  blue  as  he  was,  he  had  a  whipping : — "  My 
Hands  were  put  in  the  Stocks,  and  then  Mr.  Hemings  the 
Whipper,  began  to  noint  me  with  his  Instrument,  that 
had,  I  believe,  about  a  dozen  Strings  notted  at  the  end, 
and  with  that  I  had  Thirty  Nine  Stripes  (so  that 
according  to  a  certain  Almanack  Maker,  who  reckoned 
Dr  Oatess  Stripes  by  every  String,  I  had  twelve  times 
Thirty  Nine).  I  had  given  the  Rascal  Haifa  Crown, 
but  he  afforded  me  very  little  favour,  but  struck  home 
at  every  stroak ;  I  confess  I  could  not  forbear  bawling 

Shakspeare  (2  Hen.  IV.  act  i.  sc.  2),  "  Fillip  me  with  a  three-man 
beetle,"  i.e.,  one  with  three  handles.  All  exogenous  fibres  have  to 
be  crushed,  in  order  to  release  the  fibre  from  the  wooden  core,  and 
this,  which  is  now  done  by  machinery,  was  -then  done  by  beetles, 
or  wooden  hammers. 


1  Brazil  wood. 


216  Ward  on  Bridewell. 

out,  but  good  Sir  Robert 1  knockt  at  last,  and  I  was  let 
out  of  the  Stocks." 

The  prisoners,  if  they  chose,  could  find  their  own 
food,  but  they  were  kept  strictly  at  work  as  is  quaintly 
put  by  Fuller — "  I  had,  in  each  Shop,  the  Thieves  for 
my  Fellow-labourers,  and  the  Journeymen,  our  Deputy 
Task  Masters,  were  frequently  calling  to  the  Prisoners, 
Why  don't  you  Work  there  >  strike  hard:  Then  threaten, 
and  sometimes  beat  them  with  a  small  Cane.  These 
Task-masters  are  so  accustomed  to  keeping  their 
Prisoners  hard  at  Work,  that  I  have  heard  themselves 
say,  they  have,  frequently,  (forgetting  themselves)  called 
out,  when  they  had  no  Prisoner  in  the  Shop,  as  before, 
Why  don  t  you  work  there." 

Ward  (in  the  <c  London  Spy  ")  gives  an  almost  too 
graphic  account  of  this  prison,  but  expresses  unmiti- 
gated disgust  at  the  whipping  of  women,  which  took 
place  there,  and  solemnly  protested  against  its  continu- 
ance. His  description  of  a  woman  being  flogged,  is  as 
follows  : — 

"  My  Friend  Re-conducted  me  back  into  the  first 
Quadrangle,  and  led  me  up  a  pair  of  Stairs  into  a 
Spacious  Chamber,  where  the  Court  was  sitting  in  great 
Grandeur  and  Order.  A  Grave  Gentleman,  whose 
Awful  Looks  bespoke  him  some  Honourable  Citizen, 
was  mounted  in  the  Judgement-Seat,  Arm'd  with  a 
Hammer,  like  a  Change- Broker  at  Lloyd's  Coffee  House, 
when  selling   Goods   by  Inch  of  Candle,  and  a  Woman 

1  Sir  Robert  Jeffries  the  President  and  Justice  at  Bridewell,  when 
he  knocked  with  a  hammer  the  punishment  ceased. 


Ward  on  Bridewell. 


217 


under  the  Lash  in  the  next  Room  ;  where  Folding  doors 
were  open'd,  that  the  whole  Court  might  see  the 
Punishment  Inflicted  ;   at  last  down  went  the  Hammer, 


WOMEN    BEATING    HEMP. 


and  the  Scourging  ceas'd.  .  .  .  Another  Accusation 
being  then  deliver 'd  by  a  Flat-Cap  against  a  poor 
Wench,  who  having  no  Friend  to  speak  in  her  behalf, 


218  Howard  on  Bridewell, 

Proclamation  was  made,  viz.  All  you  who  are  willing 

E th  T 11>  should  have  present  Punishment,  pray 

hold  up  your  hands.  Which  was  done  accordingly : 
And  then  she  was  order'd  the  Civility  of  the  House, 
and  was  forc'd  to  shew  her  tender  Back  and  Breasts  to 
the  Grave  Sages  of  the  August  Assembly,  who  were 
mov'd  by  her  Modest  Mein,  together  with  the  white- 
ness of  her  Skin,  to  give  her  but  a  gentle  Correction." 

John  Howard,  in  his  "  State  of  the  Prisons  in  England 
and  Wales  "  (ed.  1777)  gives  the  following  description  of 
Bridewell : — 

"  This  building  was  formerly  a  Palace,  near  St. 
Bridget's  (St.  Bride's)  Well  ;  from  whence  it  had  the 
name ;  which,  after  it  became  a  Prison,  was  applied  to 
other  Prisons  of  the  same  sort.  It  was  given  to  the 
City  by  King  Edward  VI.  in  1552. 

"  That  part  of  Bridewell  which  relates  to  my  subject 
has  wards  for  men  and  women  quite  separate.1  The 
men's  ward  on  the  ground  floor,  is  a  day  room  in  which 
they  beat  hemp  ;  and  a  night  room  over  it.  One  of 
the  upper  chambers  is  fitting  up  for  an  Infirmary. — The 
woman's  ward  is  a  day  room  on  the  ground  floor,  in 
which  they  beat  hemp  ;  and  a  night  room  over  it.  I 
was  told  that  the  chamber  above  this  is  to  be  fitted  up 
for  an  Infirmary.  The  sick,  have,  hitherto,  been  com- 
monly sent  to  St.  Bartholomew's  Hospital.  All  the 
Prisoners  are  kept  within  doors. 

ct  The  women's  rooms  are  large,  and  have  opposite 

1  In  Hogarth's  picture  both  men  and  women  are  working 
together. 


M 


■H 

■m 


220  Bridewell  Prison. 

windows,  for  fresh  air.  Their  Ward,  as  well  as  the 
men's,  has  plenty  of  water  :  and  there  is  a  Hand- 
Ventilator  on  the  outside,  with  a  tube  to  each  room  of 
the  women's  ward.  This  is  of  great  service,  when  the 
rooms  are  crowded  with  Prisoners,  and  the  weather  is 
warm. 

"  The  Prisoners  are  employed  by  a  Hemp  dresser, 
who  has  the  profit  of  their  labour,  an  apartment  in  the 
Prison,  and  a  salary  of  ^14.  I  generally  found  them 
at  work :  they  are  provided  for,  so  as  to  be  able  to  per- 
form it.  The  hours  of  work  are,  in  winter,  from  eight 
to  four;  in  summer  from  six  to  six,  deducting  meal 
times.  The  Steward  is  allowed  eightpence  a  day  for 
the  maintenance  of  each  Prisoner ;  and  contracts  to 
supply  them  as  follows : — On  Sunday,  Monday,  Tues- 
day and  Thursday,  a  penny  loaf,  ten  ounces  of  dressed 
beef  without  bone,  broth,  and  three  pints  of  ten  shilling 
beer;  on  Wednesday,  Friday,  and  Saturday,  a  penny 
loaf,  four  ounces  of  cheese,  or  some  butter,  a  pint  of 
milk  pottage,  and  three  pints  of  ten  shilling  beer.  .  .  . 
In  winter  they  have  some  firing.  The  night  rooms  are 
supplied  with  straw.  No  other  Prison  in  London  has 
any  straw,  or  other  bedding.  ...  I  found  there  in 
1776:— 

March  13.     Prisoners     „       .       .       20 
May        1.  „  ...      7 

Dec.        3.  „  .  24." 

It  continued  as  a  House  of  Correction  for  the  City 
of  London  until  its  abolition,  with  other  Civic  prisons 
by  an  Act  of  40  and  41  Vict.  cap.   21,  entitled  "An 


The  City  and  Apprentices.  221 

Act  to  amend  the  Law  relating  to  Prisons  in  England." 
But  there  was  an  exception  made  in  its  favour,  and  it 
still  remains  a  House  of  Correction  in  a  mild  way — 
thanks  to  the  very  kindly  and  fatherly  wishes  and 
representations  of  the  Civic  Authorities. 

The  good  old  days  of  Apprenticing  boys  to  some 
craft  for  seven  years,  during  which  he  was  to  serve  his 
master  faithfully,  and  in  return,  was  to  be  housed,  fed, 
and  taught  his  business,  have  all  but  passed  away,  but 
not  quite.  There  are  still  some  refractory  apprentices, 
as  there  ever  have  been.  We  know  the  common  saying 
of  "  Boys  will  be  boys,"  which  is  applied  in  mitigation  of 
juvenile  indiscretion,  but  there  is  also  another  apothegm, 
"  Little  boys,  when  they  are  naughty,  must  be  smacked, 
and  sent  to  bed."  Bridewell  has  always  been  a  place 
where  idle  or  refractory  City  apprentices  have  had  the 
opportunity  of  pondering  over  the  errors  of  their  ways, 
and  in  passing  this  Act,  a  special  exemption  was  made, 
and  there  still  exist  six  cells,  which,  1  am  sorry  to  say, 
are  frequently  occupied  by  erring  youths.  It  is  all  done 
in  the  kindest,  and  most  fatherly  way.  The  City 
Chamberlain  from  the  time  of  the  Indentures  of  the 
lad  being  signed,  to  giving  him  his  Freedom,  acts  as 
his  guardian,  to  a  great  extent.  Has  the  lad  any  com- 
plaint to  make  against  his  master  it  is  to  the  Chamber- 
lain he  must  appeal,  and  vice  versa.  The  Cause  is  heard 
in  camera^  and  every  effort  is  made  to  reconcile  the 
parties,  but,  as  will  sometimes  happen  with  a  boy  who 
is  obstinate,  sullen,  or  vicious,  all  attempts  to  bring  him 
to  a  better  sense  fail,  then  the  Chamberlain,  by  virtue 
of  his  office  commits  the  boy  to  Bridewell,  where  he 


222  The  City  and  Bridewell. 

eats  the  bread,  and  drinks  the  water,  of  affliction  for  a 
while,  a  treatment,  which  combined  with  the  confine- 
ment, hard  work,  and  enforced  sequestration  from 
society,  largely  aided  by  the  good  advice  of  the  Chaplain, 
very  seldom  fails  to  effect  its  object,  and  render  that  lad 
a  decent  member  of  the  commonweal.  It  just  arrests 
him  in  his  downward  path,  there  is  no  publicity,  the 
thing  is  never  chronicled  in  any  Newspaper,  as  it  might 
be,  supposing  no  Bridewell  existed,  and  the  case  was 
brought  before  a  police  magistrate — it  need  never  be 
known  outside  his  family  circle,  and  he  escapes  the 
taint  of  being  a  gaol  bird. 

Bridewell  seems  to  have  been  long  associated  with 
apprentices,  not  all  of  them  "  Thomas  Idles"  I  am  happy 
to  say  ;  and  Hatton  in  "  The  New  View  of  London  " 
(1708)  writes,  showing  the  tender  care  that  the  City  of 
London  have  always  had  for  their  poor : 

"  It  is  also  an  Hospital  for  Indigent  Persons,  and 
where  20  Art  Masters  (as  they  are  called)  being  decayed 
Traders  as  Shoemakers,  Taylors,  Flax-dressers,  &c, 
have  Houses,  and  their  Servants,  or  Apprentices  (being 
about  140  in  all)  have  Cloaths  at  the  House  Charge, 
and  their  Masters  having  the  Profit  of  their  Work  do 
often  advance  by  this  means  their  own  Fortunes,  and 
these  Boys,  having  served  their  time  faithfully,  have 
not  only  their  Freedom,  but  also  £10  each  towards 
carrying  on  their  respective  Trades,  and  many  have 
even  arrived  from  nothing  to  be  Governors." 

This  arrangement  has,  of  course,  had  to  "  march  with 
the  times,"  and  in  i860  the   Master  of  the  Rolls  ap- 


Mother  Cresswell.  223 

proved  of,  and  sanctioned,  a  scheme  of  the  Charity 
Commissioners,  whereby  nearly  all  the  funds  appertain- 
ing to  Bridewell  are  utilized  by  two  industrial  schools 
called  "  King  Edward's  Schools,"  most  impartially 
divided — one  at  Witley,  in  Surrey,  affording  accom- 
modation for  two  hundred  and  forty  boys,  and  another 
in  St.  George's  Fields,  Lambeth,  for  two  hundred  and 
forty  girls  ;  so  that,  even  in  these  latter  days,  Bridewell 
still  exists,  and,  if  the  spirits  of  its  numerous  benefactors 
have  the  power  to  see  the  manner  in  which  their  money 
is  being  spent,  I  fancy  they  would  not  grumble. 

Before  leaving  the  topic  of  Bridewell,  as  a  prison,  I 
must  not  fail  to  mention  a  notorious,  but  naughty,  old 
woman  who  lived  in  the  time  of  Charles  II.,  commonly 
known  as  "  Old  Mother  Cresswell."  It  is  no  slander 
on  her  memory,  to  say  that  her  sense  of  morality  was 
exceedingly  lax,  and  she  died  in  Bridewell.  She  evi- 
dently had  saved  some  money,  and  with  that  curious 
spirit  which  possesses  some  people,  and  produces  adula- 
tory epitaphs,  she  would  fain  be  better  thought  of  after 
her  death,  than  she  was  estimated  when  alive,  for,  in 
her  will,  she  left  a  legacy  for  a  sermon  at  her  funeral, 
the  preacher's  remuneration  to  be  ^10,  on  one  condition, 
that  he  should  say  nothing  but  what  was  well  of  her. 
A  clergyman  having  been  found,  he  preached  a  sermon 
generally  adapted  to  the  occasion,  and  wound  up  by 
saying  :  "  By  the  will  of  the  deceased,  it  is  expected 
that  I  should  mention  her,  and  say  nothing  but  what 
was  well  of  her.  All  that  I  shall  say  of  her,  however, 
is  this  :  she  was  born  well,  she  lived  well,  and  she  died 
well ;  for  she  was  born  with  the  name  of  Cresswell,  she 
lived  in  Clerkenwell,  and  she  died  in  Bridewell." 


224  Bridewell  Court  Room. 

There  was  a  fine  old  Court-room,  which  is  thus  de- 
scribed in  the  "  Microcosm  of  London  "  (1808)  : 

"  The  Court-room  is  an  interesting  piece  of  antiquity, 
as  on  its  site  were  held  courts  of  justice,  and  probably 
parliaments^  under  our  early  kings.  At  the  upper  end 
are  the  old  arms  of  England  ;  and  it  is  wainscotted 
with  English  Oak,  ornamented  with  Carved  work. 
This  Oak  was  formerly  of  the  solemn  colour  which  it 
attains  by  age,  and  was  relieved  by  the  carving  being 
gilt.  It  must  have  been  no  small  effort  of  ingenuity  to 
destroy  at  one  stroke  all  this  venerable,  time-honoured 
grandeur  :  it  was,  however,  happily  achieved,  by  daub- 
ing over  with  paint  the  fine  veins  and  polish  of  the  old 
oak,  to  make  a  bad  imitation  of  the  pale  modern  wain- 
scot ;  and  other  decorations  are  added  in  similar  taste. 

"On  the  upper  part  of  the  walls  are  the  names,  in 
gold  letters,  of  benefactors  to  the  hospital :  the  dates 
commence  with  1565,  and  end  with  17 13.  This  is  said 
to  have  been  the  Court  in  which  the  sentence  of  divorce 
was  pronounced  against  Catherine  of  Arragon,  which 
had  been  concluded  on  in  the  opposite  monastery  of  the 
Black  Friars. 

"From  this  room  is  the  entrance  into  the  hall,  which 
is  a  very  noble  one  :  at  the  upper  end  is  a  picture  by 
Holbein, l  representing  Edward  VI.  delivering  the 
Charter  of  the  hospital  to  Sir  George  Barnes,  then  Lord 
Mayor  ;  near  him  are  William,  Earl  of  Pembroke,  and 
Thomas    Goodrich,    Bishop    of  Ely.      There    are    ten 

1  The  writer  is  in  error,  as  the  event  it  represents  took  place 
some  ten  years  after  Holbein's  death.  The  picture  is  now  in 
Christ's  Hospital. 


Bridewell  Court  Room.  225 

figures  in  the  picture,  besides  the  king,  whose  portrait 
is  painted  with  great  truth  and  feeling :  it  displays  all 
that  languor  and  debility  which  mark  an  approaching 
dissolution,  and  which,  unhappily,  followed  so  soon 
after,  together  with  that  of  the  painter  ;  so  that  it  has 
been  sometimes  doubted  whether  the  picture  was  really 
painted  by  Holbein — his  portrait,  however,  is  intro- 
duced ;  it  is  the  furthest  figure  in  the  corner  on  the 
right  hand,  looking  over  the  shoulders  of  the  persons 
before  him. 

"On  one  side  of  this  picture  is  a  portrait  of  Charles  II. 
sitting,  and,  on  the  other,  that  of  James  II.  standing  ; 
they  are  both  painted  by  Sir  Peter  Lely.  Round  the 
room  are  several  portraits  of  the  Presidents  and  diffe- 
rent benefactors,  ending  with  that  of  Sir  Richard  Carr 
Glyn.  The  walls  of  this  room  are  covered  with  the 
names  of  those  who  have  been  friends  to  the  institution, 
written  in  letters  of  gold." 

This  Hall  was  pulled  down  in  1862. 


16 


CHAPTER  XVIIL 


BORDERING  upon  Bridewell,  and  almost  part  and 
parcel  of  it,  was  Whitefriars,  which,  westward, 
ran  to  the  Temple,  and  eastward  to  the  Fleet. 
It  is  so-called  from  a  Carmelite  monastery,  established 
here  in  the  reign  of  Edward  I.  Within  its  precincts 
was  the  right  of  sanctuary,  and,  like  the  Jewish  Cities 
of  Refuge,  offenders  against  the  law  might  flee  thither, 
and  be  protected  from  arrest.  Naturally,  the  very 
scum  of  London  floated  thither,  to  the  Mint  in  South - 
wark,  and  the  precincts  of  the  Savoy  in  the  Strand,  in 
none  of  which  the  King's  warrant  ran,  unless  backed 
by  a  force  sufficient  to  overawe  the  lawless  denizens 
of  these  localities.  Whitefriars  we  may  take  as  its 
original  name,  but  there  was  given  it  a  nick-name, 
"  Alsatia,"  from  Alsace,  or  Elsass,  on  the  frontier 
between  France  and  Germany,  which  was  always  a 
battle-field  between  the  two  nations ;  and  so,  from  the 
incessant  fighting  that  went  on  in  this  unruly  neigh- 
bourhood, it  acquired  its  cognomen. 


228  Alsatia. 

Sir  Walter  Scott,  in  "  The  Fortunes  of  Nigel,"  gives 
a  vivid  description  of  the  utter  lawlessness  and  de- 
bauchery of  this  quarter  of  the  town,  but  his  was 
second-hand.  Perhaps  one  of  the  most  graphic 
pictures  of  this  sink  of  iniquity  is  given  in  Shad- 
well's  "Squire  of  Alsatia,"  acted  in  1688,  and  which 
was  so  popular,  that  it  had  a  run  of  thirteen  nights. 
Here  we  get  at  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  natives, 
without  any  glossing  over ;  and,  just  to  give  an 
example  of  the  real  state  of  the  district  at  that  time,  I 
make  two  or  three  extracts,  showing  how  the  denizens 
were  banded  together  in  mutual  defence. 

"  Cheatly.  So  long  as  you  forbear  all  Violence,  you  are  safe  ; 
but,  if  you  strike  here,  we  command  the  Fryers,  and  will  raise  the 
Posse.    .    .    . 

[A  Noise  of  Tumult  without,  and  blowing  a  Horn.] 
Cheatly.  What  is  this  I  hear  ? 

Shamwell.  They  are  up  in  the  Friers  ;  Pray  Heav'n  the  Sheriff's 
Officers  be  not  come. 

Cheatly.    'Slife,  'tis  so  !     'Squire,  let  me  conduct  you This 

is  your  wicked  Father  with  Officers.  [Exit. 

[Cry  without,  the  Tip- Staff!  an  Arrest!  an  Arrest!  and  the  horn 

blows.'] 
[Enter   Sir  William  Belfond,  and  a  Tip-Staff,  with  the  Constable, 
and  his   Watchmen ;  and,  against  them,  the  Posse  of  the  Friers 
drawn  up,  Bankrupts  hurrying  to  escaped] 
Sir    Will.    Are    you   mad,   to    resist    the  Tip-Staff,   the    King's 
Authority  ? 

[They  cry  out,  An    Arrest!  several  flock  to   yem   with  all  sorts  of 
Weapons,  Women  with  Fire-Forks,  Spits,  Paring  Shovels,  & c] 

Tip-Staff.    I  charge  you,  in  the  King's  Name,  all  to  assist  me. 
Rabble.    Fall  on. 
[Rabble  beat  the  Constable,  and  the  rest  run  into  the  Temple.      Tip» 
Staff  runs  away.]." 


Wh 


ITEFR1ARS, 


229 


So  that  we  see  how  an  ordinary  sheriff's  officer  and 
the  civil  authorities  were  treated  when  they  attempted 
to  execute  the  law  ;  but,  further  on  in  the  play,  we 
find  a  Lord  Chief  Justice's  warrant,  backed  up  by  a 
military  force — and  then  we  see  the  difference. 

"  Truman.    What  do  all  these  Rabble  here  ? 

Constable.    Fire  amongst  'em. 

Sergeant.  Present. 
The  Debtors  run  up  and  down,  some  without  their  Breeches,  others 
without  their  Coats ;  some  out  of  Balconies ;  some  crying  out, 
Oars!  Oars!  Sculler!  Five  Pounds  for  a  Boat !  The  Inhabi- 
tants all  come  out  arm'd  as  before ;  but  as  soon  as  they  see  the 
Musqueteers,  they  run,  and  every  one  shifts  for  himself] 

And  almost  at  the  close  of  the  play  one  of  the 
characters,  Sir  Edward  Belfond,  moralizes  thus : 

"  Was  ever  such  Impudence  suffer'd  in  a  Government  ?  Ireland's 
conquer'd  ;  Wales  subdued  ;  Scotland  united  :  But  there  are  some 
few  Spots  of  Ground  in  Lonaon,  just  in  the  Face  of  the  Govern- 
ment, unconquer'd  yet,  that  hold  in  Rebellion  still.  Methinks  'tis 
strange,  that  Places  so  near  the  King's  Palace  should  be  no  Parts 
of  his  Dominions.  'Tis  a  Shame  to  the  Societies  of  the  Law,  to 
countenance  such  Practices  :  Should  any  Place  be  shut  against  the 
King's  Writ,  or  Posse  Comitatus  ?  " 

This  right  of  sanctuary  was  taken  from  Whitefriars 
by  William  III.,  the  nest  of  rogues,  vagabonds,  and 
thieves  broken  up,  the  occupants  dispersed,  and  law 
reigned  supreme  in  that  once  defiant  place. 

We  have  now  traced  the  Fleet  River  to  its  junction 
with  the  Thames.  Poor  little  river  !  its  life  began  pure 
enough,  but  men  so  befouled  it,  that  their  evil  deeds 
rose  against  themselves,  and  the  river  retaliated  in  such 


230  Deaths  in   the  Fleet. 

kind,  as  to  become  a  malodorous  and  offensive  nuisance, 
dangerous  to  the  health  of  those  men  who  would  not 
leave  it  in  its  purity.  So  it  was  covered  over,  about 
1764  (for  it  took  some  time  to  do  it),  and  the  present 
Bridge  Street  is  over  its  foul  stream,  which  was  curbed, 
and  bricked  in,  forming  a  portion  of  our  vast  and 
wonderful  system  of  sewers.  It  has  taken  its  toll  of 
human  life,  in  its  time,  though  but  few  instances  are 
recorded.  In  the  Gentleman  s  Magazine,  January  11, 
1763,  we  read  :  "  A  man  was  found  in  the  Fleet  Ditch 
standing  upright,  and  frozen  to  death.  He  appears  to 
have  been  a  barber  at  Bromley,  in  Kent ;  had  come  to 
town  to  see  his  children,  and  had,  unfortunately,  mis- 
taken his  Avay  in  the  night,  and  slipt  into  the  ditch  ; 
and,  being  in  liquor,  could  not  disentangle  himself." 

Bell's  Weekly  Messenger,  August  2,  1835:  "Some 
workmen  have  been  for  a  few  days  past  engaged  in 
making  a  new  sewer,  communicating  with  the  foulest 
of  all  streams,  the  Fleet  Ditch.  In  consequence  of  the 
rain  the  men  had  left  off  work ;  and,  soon  afterwards,  a 
young  man  named  Macarthy,  a  bricklayer,  proceeded 
to  the  sewer  for  the  purpose  of  bringing  away  a  ladder, 
when,  owing  to  the  slippery  state  of  the  works,  he  fell 
down  the  Sewer,  but  in  his  descent,  caught  hold  of  the 
ladder  he  was  in  search  of,  to  which  he  hung  for  nearly 
a  quarter  of  an  hour,  calling  loudly  all  the  time  for 
assistance,  though  from  some  extraordinary  cause  or 
other,  no  person  was  able  to  afford  him  any.  At  length 
some  of  the  labourers  arrived — but  too  late ;  he  had 
just  before  fallen  into  the  Sewer,  and  was  carried  into 
the  Fleet  Ditch ;  and  owing  to  its  having  been  swollen 


Ben  Jonson  and   the  Fleet.  231 

by  the  heavy  shower,  floated  along  as  far  as  the  mouth 
of  the  Fleet  Ditch,  at  Blackfriars,  where  his  body  was 
found,  covered  with  the  filth  of  the  sewer,  which  the 
unfortunate  man  had  met  with  in  his  progress  to  the 
Thames." 

And  the  'Times  of  October  3,  1839,  records  another 
fatal  accident  during  some  repairs. 

Naturally,  this  River  was  celebrated  in  verse.  There 
was  a  very  foolish  and  dull  poem  by  Arthur  Murphy 
in  1 76 1  called  "  Ode  to  the  Naiads  of  Fleet  Ditch  ;  " 
and,  previously,  it  had  been  sung  by  Ben  Jonson,  "  On 
the  famous  Voyage,"  which  will  be  found  among  his 
epigrams.  This  voyage  was  from  Bridewell  to  Hol- 
born,  and  describes  very  graphically  the  then  state  of 
the  river.  Too  graphic,  indeed,  is  it  for  the  reading 
of  the  modern  public,  so  I  transcribe  but  a  very  small 
portion  of  it,  showing  its  then  state. 

"  But  hold  my  torch,  while  I  describe  the  entry 
To  this  dire  passage.     Say,  thou  stop  thy  nose  ; 
'Tis  but  light  pains  :   indeed,  this  dock's  no  rose. 
In  the  first  jaws  appear'd  that  ugly  monster 
Y'cleped  mud,  which,  when  their  oars  did  once  stir, 
Belched  forth  an  air  as  hot,  as  at  the  muster 
Of  all  your  night  tubs,  when  the  carts  do  cluster, 
Who  shall  discharge  first  his  merd-urinous  load ; 
Thorough  her  womb  they  make  their  famous  road." 


1768.     the  arrest.     (Drawn  from  a  late  real  scene.) 


"  Sir  Fopling  Flutter  through  his  Glass 
Inspects  the  ladies  as  they  pass, 
Yet  still  the  Coxcomb  lacks  the  Wit 
To  guard  against  the  Bailiff's  Writ." 


C&e   jrieet   prison. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


THIS  prison  was  of  great  antiquity,  and  its 
genealogy,  like  all  respectable  ones,  dates  back 
to  William  the  Conqueror,  at  least ;  for  we  find, 
under  date  1197,1  "  Natanael  de  Leveland  &  Robertus 
filius  suus  r.c.  de  LX  marcis,  Pro  habenda  Custodia 
Domorum  Regis  de  Westmonasterio,  &  Gaiolas  de 
Ponte  de  Fliete,  quae  est  hasreditas  eorum  a  Conquestu 
Anglias ;  ita  quod  non  remaneat  propter  Finem  Osberto 
de  Longo  Campo."  Or,  in  English,  "  Nathaniel  de 
Leveland  and  his  son  Robert,  fined  in  sixty  marks ,  to 
have  the  Custody  of  the  Kings  Houses  at  Westminster, 

1  Mag.  Rot.  9  Ric.  I.     Rot.  ia,  Lond.  &  Midi 


234  History  of  the  Fleet  Prison. 

and  the  Prison  at  Fleet-bridge,  which  had  been  their 
inheritance  ever  since  the  Conquest  of  England ;  and 
that  they  may  not  be  hindered  therein  by  the  Counterfine 
of  Osbert  de  Longchamp." 

There  seems  to  have  been  some  double  dealing  in 
this  transaction,  in  which,  as  was  only  natural  in  those 
days,  money  went  into  the  King's  pocket.1  "  And 
Osbert  de  Longchamp  fined  in  five  hundred  marks,  to 
have  the  King's  favour,  and  seizin  of  all  his  lands  and 
chatels  whereof  he  was  disseised  by  the  King's  Com- 
mand, and  to  have  seisin  of  the  Custody  of  the  Gaol  of 
London,  with  the  Appurtenances,  and  of  the  Custody 
of  the  King's  Houses  of  Westminster  :  provided  that 
Right  be  done  therein  in  the  King's  Court,  in  case  any 
one  would  implead  him  for  the  same."  2 

Robert  de  Leveland,  the  son  of  the  foregoing 
Nathaniel,  was  bitten  by  the  then  fashionable  craze 
for  Crusading,  for  he  is  found,  in  1201,  petitioning 
King  John  for  leave  to  delegate  the  care  of  the  King's 
Houses  at  Westminster,  and  the  Fleet  Prison,  to  Simon 
FitzRobert,  Archdeacon  of  Wells,  for  the  space  of  three 
years,  during  which  time  he  should  be  in  the  Holy 
Land.  His  prayer  seems  to  have  been  granted  ;  but 
he  evidently  drew  a  little  money  before  he  went  away, 
for,  in  the  Chancery  Rolls  of  the  same  year,  he  was  paid 
£15  1  os.  by  the  City  of  London,  on  account  of  the 
King's  Prison  of  Flete,  and  he  also  received  other  sums 
of  ^10  12s.  iod.  for  the  Custody  of  the  King's  Houses 
at  Westminster,  and  £7  12s.  id.  for  the  Custody  of  the 

1  Mag.  Rot.  9  Ric.  I.     Rot.  \\b,  Ke?it. 

2  Liberate  Rolls,  p.  25.      Rot.  Lit.  Pat.  Hardy,  p.  4. 


History  of  the  Fleet  Prison.  135 

Gaol  of  London.1  By  which,  and  also  by  the  foregoing 
notice  of  Osbert  de  Longchamps,  it  is  evident  that,  at 
that  time,  the  Fleet  prison  was  the  principal,  if  not  the 
only,  prison  in  London. 

Robert  de  Leveland  re-entered  upon  his  duties  after 
his  three  years'  leave,  and  a  document  is  extant 2  in 
which  he  is  excused  payment  of  £10  he  had  borrowed ; 
but  (possibly  in  lieu)  he  was  bound  to  serve  beyond  the 
seas — i.e.,  in  foreign  parts  —  with  horses  and  arms. 
When  he  died  is  not  known,  but  his  widow  evidently 
succeeded  him  as  custodian,  for  in  December,  1217,3 
his  wife  Margaret  has  the  same  allowance  given  her 
in  regard  of  the  King's  Houses  at  Westminster  "  as 
the  said  Robert  had  been  accustomed  to  during  his 
life."  Thus  she  was  the  first  female  Warden  of  the 
Fleet ;  there  were  others,  as  we  shall  see  by  and  by. 

It  is  a  moot  question,  and  I  put  it  forward  with  all 
reserve,  as  to  whether  there  was  not  even  an  earlier 
mention  of  the  Fleet  before  the  very  authentic  case  of 
Nathaniel  de  Leveland ;  but  as  it  is  open  to  objection 
that  there  were  more  Fleets  than  one,  I  only  give  the 
cases,  and  make  no  comment.4  11 89:  "William  de 
Flete  gave  a  Mark  to  have  his  plea  in  the  King's  Court 
touching  a  hyde  of  land,  versus  Randolph  de  Broy." 
And  again,5  in  11 93  :  "  Richard  de  Flet  fined  in  one 
hundred  Marks,  that  his  daughter  might  be  delivered 
from  Ralf  de  Candos,  who  said  he  had  espoused  her." 

1  Rot.  Cancell.  3  John,  f.  100. 

2  Close  Rolls,  6  John,  f.  33. 

3  Close  Rolls,  2  Hen.  III.,  f.  346. 

4  Mag.  Rot.  1  Ric.  I.     Rot.  zb,  Bedef.     Til  de  Oblatis  Curia?. 

5  Mag.  Rot.      5  Ric.  I.       Rot.  za,  Nordfolch  and  Sudfolch. 


236  Female  Wardens. 

In  the  Rolls  are  many  cases  which  mention  the  Fleet, 
but,  although  it  was  a  House  of  Detention,  for  debtors, 
especially  to  the  King,  and  persons  committing  minor 
crimes,  it  never  seems  to  have  been  degraded  into  what 
we  should  now  term  "  a  Gaol."  No  felons  seem  to 
have  been  incarcerated  there,  and  there  is  no  mention 
of  gyves  or  chains,  but  they  were  used  in  after  years. 

It  would  seem  that  another  "  lady "  Warden  of  the 
Fleet  existed  in  Edward  II.'s  time,  for,  in  13 16, 
"Johanne,  late  Wife  of  John  Schench  deceased,  who 
held  of  the  King  in  chief  the  Serjeanties  of  the  Custody 
of  the  King's  Palace  of  Westminster,  and  of  his  Prison 
of  Flete,  married  Edmund  de  Cheney,  without  licence 
obtained  from  the  King,  in  that  behalf.  Whereupon 
the  said  serjeanties  were  taken  into  the  King's  hands, 
and  straitway  the  Treasurer  and  the  Barons  com- 
mitted the  Custody  of  the  Palace  of  Richard  Abbot, 
who  was  sworn  de  fideliter^  &c,  and  the  Custody  of 
the  Flete  Prison  to  John  Dymmok,  Usher  of  the 
Exchequer,  who  was  sworn  in  the  like  manner. 
Afterwards  the  said  Edmund  made  Fine  for  the 
said  Trespass,  and  the  said  serjeanties  were  restored." 
By  which  we  see  that  thus  early  "  women's  rights " 
were  fully  recognized,  and  "employment  for  females" 
in  occupations  hitherto  enjoyed  exclusively  by  men, 
seems  to  have  been  in  force. 

Although  not  in  Chronological  Order,  I  may  as  well 
add  another,  and  the  only  other  mention  that  has  come 
under  my  notice  of  a  female  Warden  (1677)  i1  "^ 
Woman  Guardian  of  the  Fleet,  marries  her  Prisoner  in 

T  See  Piatt's  Case  cited  Vaughan's  Reports  1677,  p.  243. 


Settlement  of   Fees.  237 

Execution ;  he  is  immediately  out  of  Execution ;  for 
the  Husband  cannot  be  Prisoner  to  his  Wife,  it  being 
repugnant  that  she,  as  jay  lor,  should  have  custody  of 
him,  and  he,  as  husband,  the  custody  of  her." 

Without  some  effective  supervision,  as  is  the  case 
with  our  Prison  Commissioners,  abuses  were  bound  to 
creep  in,  and  the  Governor  or  Warden  of  any  Prison, 
(who  doubtless  had  paid  heavily  for  the  appointment) 
had  to  recoup  himself  by  squeezing  the  unfortunate 
prisoners,  and  we  shall  find  several  examples  of  this  in 
the  Fleet.  The  earliest  seems  to  have  been  in  the 
second  year  of  Henry  IV.  (1400)  when  a  petition  was 
presented  to  Parliament l  which  prays,  in  its  quaint 
Norman  French  that  "  les  fees  de  Gardien  de  Flete 
sorent  mys  en  certain  "  that  the  fees  might  be  settled. 

It  is  possible  that  extra  fees  were  taken  for  a  certain 
amount  of  liberty  allowed  to  the  prisoners  by  the 
Warden,  who  would  allow  him  to  go  out  of  gaol  on 
certain  conditions,  and  we  may  be  certain,  for  a  con- 
sideration also.  The  Warden  was  answerable  for  his 
Prisoner,  and  if  he  escaped,  he  had  to  pay  the  debt,  so 
that  we  may  be  certain  that  his  ephemeral  liberty  was 
highly  purchased.  That  this  was  the  case  we  find  in 
7  and  8  Hen.  IV.  (1406) 2  "que  si  ascun  Gaoler 
lesseroit  tiel  Prisoner  aler  a  large  par  mainprise  3  ou  en 
baile,  que  adonques  le  persone  envers  qi  le  dit  Prisoner 
estoit  condempne  aureoit  sa  action  et  recoverir  envers  le 
dit  Gaoler."    Or  in  English,  "  'That  if  any  Gaoler  allowed 

1  Rolls  of  Pari.  voL  iii.  p.  469. 

2  Ibid,  vol  iii.  p.  593a. 

3  Allowing  a  prisoner  to  go  at  liberty  on  finding  sureties. 


238  Liberty   to  Prisoners. 

such  Prisoner  to  go  at  large,  either  by  mainprize  or  bail, 
that,  then,  the  Person  to  whom  the  Prisoner  was  indebted 
might  have  his  action,  and  recover  against  the  said 
Gaoler!'  Yet,  notwithstanding  this,  there  were  many 
actions  brought  against  the  Wardens  for  allowing  their 
prisoners  to  escape.  A  relic  of  this  power  of  the  Wardens 
to  accord  a  certain  amount  of  liberty  to  their  prisoners, 
obtained  till  the  last  hours  of  the  Fleet.  There  was,  in 
the  Rules,  a  defined  district  surrounding  the  Prison,  in 
which  prisoners,  on  providing  approved  sureties  for  the 
amount  of  their  debt,  and  paying  some  fee,  might  reside, 
on  condition  that  they  did  not  overstep  the  boundaries. 
That  this  custom  of  granting  temporary  exeats  was  very 
ancient,  is  indisputable,  for,  in  the  1  Richard  II.  (1377) 
a  complaint  was  made  that  the  Warden  of  the  Fleet 
"  sometimes  by  mainprize,  or  by  bail,  and  sometimes 
without  any  mainprize,  with  a  Baston  of  the  Fleet, "  i.e., 
accompanied  by  a  prison  official,  would  allow  his  charges 
to  go  abroad,  "  even  into  the  country." 

It  is  impossible  to  give  a  list  of  all  the  prisoners  of 
note  who  were  committed  to  the  Fleet,  and  they  must 
only  be  glanced  at,  but  with  the  accession  of  Mary, 
some  illustrious  and  historical  names  appear.  First, 
and  foremost,  and  almost  immediately  after  her  accession 
to  the  throne,  we  read,  thanks  to  the  preservation  and 
collation,  of  State  Papers,1  that  on  the  29th  of  July, 
1553,  a  letter  from  the  Privy  Council  was  sent  to  the 
u  Wardene  of  the  Flete,  for  the  apprehensyone  and 
commyttyng  of  the  Lord  Russell,  Anthonye  Browne  of 
Essex,  and  John  Lucas."  All  these  prisoners  see  11  to 
1  Hayne's  State  Papers,  vol.  i. 


Prisoners.  239 

have  been  treated  with  great  leniency,  for  there  is  a 
letter  (July  31)  to  the  Warden  of  the  Fleet  bidding 
him  to  give  Mr.  Lucas  and  Mr.  Cooke  the  liberty e  of 
his  Garden,  so  that  there  must  have  been  a  garden  then 
attached  to  the  Fleet  prison — and  a  postscript  orders 
that  "  he  shall  delyuer  Mr.  Anthonye  Browne,  and  suffer 
hym  to  goo  to  his  awne  Howse." 

Nor  were  the  others  kept  long  in  durance,  for  on  the 
3rd  of  Aug.,  1553,  the  Council  wrote  to  the  Warden 
willing  him  "  To  set  at  libertye  John  Lucas,  and  John 
Cocke,  Esquiers,  giueing  them  Commaundement  withall 
to  repaire  to  their  Mancion  Howses  and  their  to  make 
theire  aboode  vntill  they  shall  here  further  of  the 
Queene's  Pleasure."  And  even  the  incarceration  of 
Lord  Russell  was  mollified,  for  a  letter  was  written  on 
9th  Aug.  to  Mr.  Garret,  one  of  the  Sheriffs  of  London, 
"  whereby  the  Countesse  of  Bedforde  is  licensed  to  have 
free  access  twise  or  thrise  in  the  week,  unto  the  Lord 
Russell,  her  son,  remayning  in  the  said  sheriff's 
custodie,  so  the  sheriff  be  present  at  their  Talke  and 
Conference." 

I  give  the  above  so  as  not  to  spoil  the  continuity  of 
the  story,  but  there  is  mention  of  the  Fleet  prison  long 
before;  for  instance,  in  1355,  Edward  III.  wrote  "  to 
his  well-beloved  and  trusty,  Simon  Fraunceys  Mayor  of 
the  City  of  London,  Hugh  de  Appleby,  and  Robert  de 
Charwaltone,  greeting.  Whereas  we  have  been  given 
to  understand  that  the  Foss  l  by  which  the  mansion  of 
our  Prison  of  Flete  is  surrounded,  and  which,  for  safety 

1  The  moat  or  ditch  fed  by  the  Fleet,  which  washed  the  walls 
of  the  prison. 


240  Filthy  State  of  the  Fleet. 

of  the  said  prison  was  lately  made,  is  now  obstructed 
and  choked  up  by  filth  from  latrines  built  thereon,  and 
divers  others  refuse  thrown  therein,  that  there  is  cause  to 
fear  for  the  abiding  there  of  the  persons  therein  detained, 
by  reason  of  the  same ;  and  because  that,  by  reason  of 
the  infection  of  the  air,  and  the  abominable  stench 
which  there  prevails,  many  of  those  there  imprisoned 
are  often  affected  with  various  diseases  and  grievous 
maladies,  not  without  serious  peril  unto  themselves. 
We,  wishing  a  befitting  remedy  to  be  applied  thereto, 
and  that  the  said  Foss  may  be  restored  to  its  former 
state,  in  which  it  was  when  it  was  first  made,  and  so 
improved ;  and,  for  making  provision  thereon,  desiring 
upon  the  matters  aforesaid  more  fully  to  be  informed, 
have  assigned  you,  and  any  two  of  you,  to  survey  the 
Foss  aforesaid,  &c." 

This  warrant  was  followed  by  an  Inquest  held  at  the 
Church  of  St.  Brigid  in  Fleet  Street  on  Tuesday,  the 
9th  of  January,  1356,  on  the  oath  of  Richard  le  Cok, 
(Cook)  Nicholas  le  Sporiere  (Spurrier),  and  Thomas  le 
Glaswrighte  (Glassblower)  and  nine  others.  From  it  we 
learn  that  the  "  Foss  of  Flete  "  ought  to  be  ten  feet  in 
breadth  all  round  the  Prison ;  that  it  ought  to  be  so 
full  of  water  that  a  boat  laden  with  one  tun  of  wine 
might  easily  float  round  it ;  and  that  the  shelving  banks 
of  the  Foss  were  then  covered  with  trees.  Also  that  it 
was  quite  choked  up  with  the  filth  of  laystalls  and 
sewers  discharging  into  it;  and  that  no  less  than  eleven 
necessary  houses  (or  wardrobes,  as  they  seem  very 
generally  to  have  been  called  in  the  thirteenth  and  four- 
teenth centuries)  had  been  illegally  built  over  it  "  to  the 


RISONERS. 


241 


corruption  of  the  Water  in  the  Foss  aforesaid ;  and  to 
such  an  extent  is  the  flow  of  water  obstructed  and 
impeded  thereby,  that  the  said  Foss  can  no  longer 
surround  the  Prison  with  its  waters,  as  it  should  do."  l 

The  Acts  of  the  Privy  Council  throw  some  light  on  the 
Fleet,  giving  several  instances  of  Committals  thereto,  one 
of  the  first  being  9  Hen.  V.  Oct.  14,  142 1.2  Wherein 
Hugo  Annesley,  who  probably  was  then  Warden  of  the 
Fleet,  was  directed  to  incarcerate  therein  one  Grey  de 
Codenore,  who  had  been  exiled,  and  having  received  his 
passport,  remained  in  England,  notwithstanding. 

In  1  Henry  VI. ,3  19  May,  1423,  the  "  gardein  de 
notre  prisone  de  Flete  "  was  commanded  to  bring  before 
the  King  some  prisoners  whom  he  had  in  custody, 
namely  Huguelyn  de  Chalons,  Johan  Billy,  Johan  de 
Cheviers,  Regnault  de  Graincourt,  Hellyn  de  Bassiers, 
Pierre  de  Mombreham,  and  Pierre  de  Pauniers  "noz  pri- 
soners prisez  a  la  reddicion  de  notre  ville  de  Harefleu." 

In  the  fifteenth  and  sixteenth  centuries  are  many 
notices  of  committals  to  the  Fleet,  so  numerous  that  I 
can  only  mention  a  few,  one  onlv  of  which  I  give  in 
the  original  spelling.  32  Hen.  VIII.  Sept.  9,  154O0 
"  Lres  was  also  brought  from  the  Lord  P'vey  Seale, 
declaring  a  certayn  affray  to  be  made  by  Sr  Geoffrey 
Poole  in  Hampshyre  upon  one  Mr.  Gunter  a  justice  of 
peax,  for  that  (as  Poole  sayd)  one  of  Gunter's  srvants 

1  See  "  Memorials  of  London  and  London  Life  in  the  Thirteenth, 
Fourteenth,  and  Fifteenth  Centuries,"  by  H.  T'.  Riley,  1847,  pp. 
279,  280. 

2  "  Proceedings  and  Ordinances  of  the  Privy  Council  of  Eng- 
land," edited  by  Sir  H.  Nicholas,  1834,  vol.  ii.  p.  30?. 

3  Ibid.  vol.  iii.  p.  93. 

17 


242  A  Quarrelsome  Knight. 

had  spoken  evill  of  hym,  and  for  that  also  that  hymself 
Gunter  had  disclosed  to  the  King's  Counsail  in  the  tyme 
of  Poole's  trouble  certain  secret  conference  which  Poole 
had  w*  hym.  And  answer  was  made  to  the  sayd  Lord 
Pvy  Seale  that  calling  the  complaynt  eftesones  before 
hym  the  lordes  and  others  the  gent  and  justices  of  peax 
in  the  cutrey  to  thentent  the  cryme  of  Sr  Geffrey  might 
be  notorious  to  all  the  Cutrey  there  he  shuld  corny tt  the 
said  Sr  Geffrey  to  the  Flette  to  remayne  there  until 
further  knowledge  of  the  Kings  pleasr." 

Evidently  great  interest  was  made  for  this  naughty 
Sir  Geoffrey,  for  we  learn  on  Sept.  24th  that  "  It  was 
declared  to  the  Lady  Poole,  the  wife  of  Sir  Geoffrey 
Poole,  that  the  King's  higness  had  pardoned  her  husband 
of  his  imprisonment,"  and  the  Lord  Privy  Seal  was 
directed  to  release  him.  But  he  seems  to  have  been  a 
very  cantankerous  knight,  for  we  find  him  in  hot  water 
again  next  year.  April  8,  1541,  "Whereas  Sir  Geoffrey 
Poole,  Knight,  had  violently  and  contrary  to  the  King's 
Highness'  peace  assaulted  and  hurt  1  Sir  John  Mychaill 
clerk,  parson  of  Racton  in  the  County  of  Sussex,"  and 
he  had  to  put  in  sureties  to  keep  the  peace  towards  the 
said  parson,  and  to  answer  the  bill  preferred  against 
him.  But  it  seems  that  he  had  some  provocation,  for 
a  letter  was  written  to  him  requiring  him  to  remember, 
as  far  as  he  could,  the  "  hay  nous  and  traytorous  woords 
spoken  by  Sr  John  Michaell." 

On  Nov.  7,  1540,  Browne,  the  son  and  heir  of  Sir 
Matthew  Browne  of  Surrey,  was  committed  to  the  Fleet, 

1  Beneficed  Clergy  were  given  the  title  of  Dominus  or  Sir — as 
Sir  Hugh  Evans,  in  the  Merry  Wives  of  Windsor. 


Preference   for  the   Fleet   Prison.         243 

together  with  some  of  his  servants,  for  burning  a  certain 
stack  of  wood  in  Surrey.  On  Jan.  8,  1541,  John 
Gough  of  London,  printer,  was  sent  to  the  Fleet  for 
printing  and  selling  a  seditious  book.  On  March  18, 
1 54 1,  there  seems  to  have  been  a  riot  among  some  of 
the  servants  of  the  Gentlemen  of  the  Privy  Chamber, 
and  three  of  them  were  committed  to  the  Fleet.  On 
April  24,  1 54 1,  a  smuggler  was  put  into  ward  here, 
one  Giles  Hasebarde  of  Southampton,  a  "  berebruer," 
who  had  put  on  board  "  a  ship  of  Holland,  named  the 
Mary  of  Dordroyt,"  five  pockets  of  wool,  without 
a  licence,  intending  to  send  them  to  Flanders.  For 
this  he  was  sent  to  the  Fleet,  the  wool  confiscated  to 
the  King's  use,  and  the  Master  of  the  ship  was  mulcted 
in  half  the  value  of  his  vessel  ;  but  Hasebarde  was  not 
long  in  durance,  as  he  was  liberated  on  April  30th. 
To  thoroughly  understand  the  reason  of  this  man's 
imprisonment  in  the  Fleet,  we  must  remember  that  he 
was  sent  there  as  being  a  Debtor  to  the  King,  and  in  the 
fifteenth  century  it  was  a  very  common  practice  for 
delinquents  who  were  confined  in  other  London  prisons 
to  confess  themselves,  by  a  legal  fiction,  debtors  to  the 
King,  in  order  to  get  into  the  Fleet  prison,  which  was 
more  comfortable.  But  to  show  the  variety  of  so- 
called  crimes,  or  misdemeanours,  which  were  punishable 
by  imprisonment  here,  there  is  the  case  of  John  Barkley 
of  Canterbury,  innholder,  who  was  committed  to  the 
Fleet  for  having  molested  the  King's  Highness  with 
sundry  troublous  supplications,  and  it  was  found  that 
he  "  appered  manyfestly  to  be  a  comen  barrater  1  and  a 

1  A  vexatious  and  litigious  person — one  who  stirs  up  strife. 


244  Sir  John    Falstaff0 

malicious  pmoter  of  false   and  injust  mattiers  to  the 
gret  vexacon  of  the  Kings  faithfull  subjects." 

It  was  also  used  as  a  house  of  detention,  for  we  find 
Oct.  17,  1 54 1,  that  Cowley  the  Master  of  the  Rolls 
in  Ireland,  was  examined,  but  because  the  time  was 
too  short  to  do  it  thoroughly,  the  Lord  Chancellor 
sent  him  to  the  Fleet  "  untill  syche  tyme  as  the  King 
sholde  com  to  London."  It  seems  to  have  been  a  refuge 
for  misdemeanants,  for  April  3,  1542,  John  Bulmer 
Esquire,  for  his  wilful  disobeying  of  an  order  taken 
between  him  and  his  wife  by  the  Council,  was  com- 
mitted to  the  Fleet.  And  does  not  Shakespeare  make 
Sir  John  Falstaff  a  denizen  of  this  prison  ?  (Second 
Part  King  Henry  the  Fourth,  last  scene). 

"  Chief  Justice.   Go,  carry  Sir  lohn  Fahtaffe  to  the  Flcete 
Take  all  his  Company  along  with  him. 

Fahtaffe,  My  Lord,  my  Lord. 

Chief  Justice.    I  cannot  now  speake,  I  will  heare  you  soone  : 
Take  them  away." 

Sir  Rd.  Empson,  so  well  known  in  Henry  the  Seventh's 
time,  was  indicted  for  sending,  without  process,  persons 
accused  of  murder,  and  other  crimes,  "  to  the  late  King's 
Prisons,  to  wit  the  Fleet,  the  Compter,  and  the  Tower 
of  London."  And,  from  the  Articles  of  Impeachment 
against  Cardinal  Wolsey,  it  would  seem  that  he  was  in 
the  habit  of  committing  to  the  Fleet,  those  who 
thwarted  him  in  his  demands.  One  case  (Article  38)  is  : 
"  Also  that  the  said  Lord  Cardinal  did  call  before  him 
Sir  John  Stanley  Knt  which  had  taken  a  Farm  by 
Covent  Seal  of  the  Abbot:  and  Covent  of  Chester,  and 


Cardinal  Wolsey. 


245 


afterwds  by  his  Power  and  Might,  contrary  to  Right, 
committed  the  said  Sir  John  "Stanley  to  the  Prison  of 
the  Fleet  by  the  space  of  a  Year,  unto  such  time  as  he 
compelled  the  said  Sir  John  to  release  his  Covent  Seal 
to  one  Leghe  of  Adlington,  which  married  one  Lark's 
daughter,  which  woman  the  said  Lord  Cardinal  kept, 
and  had  with  her  two  Children ;  whereupon  the  said 
Sir  John  made  himself  Monk  in  Westminster,  and  there 
died." 

Here  is  another  example  of  the  Cardinal's  high- 
handed method  of  dealing  with  those  who  did  not 
exactly  bend  to  his  will,  in  Article  41  of  his  Impeach- 
ment :  "  Also  where  one  Sir  Edward  Jones,  Clerk,  parson 
of  Orewly  in  the  County  of  Bucks,  in  the  18th  year  of 
your  most  noble  reign,  let  his  sd  parsonage  with  all 
tithes  and  other  profits  of  the  same  to  one  William 
Johnson,  for  certain  years;  within  which  years,  the 
Dean  of  the  s'd  Cardinal's  College  in  I  Oxenford  pre- 
tended title  to  a  certain  portion  of  Tithes  within  the  sd 
parsonage,  supposing  the  sd  portion  to  belong  to  the 
parsonage  of  Chichley,  which  was  appointed  to  the 
Priory  of  Tykeford,  lately  suppressed,  where  (of 
truth)  the  Parsons  of  Orewly  have  been  peaceably 
possessed  of  the  s'd  portion  out  of  the  time  of  mind : 
Where  upon  a  Subpcena  was  directed  to  the  said  John- 
son to  appear  before  the  Lord  Cardinal  at  Hampton 
Court,  out  of  any  term,  with  an  injunction  to  suffer  the 
said  Dean  to  occupy  the  said  portion.  Whereupon  the 
said  Johnson  appeared  before  the  said  Lord  Cardinal  at 
Hampton    Court,    where    without    any    Bill   the    said 

1  Christ  Church,  Oxford. 


246 


Cardinal  Wolsey. 


Lord  Cardinal  committed  him  to  the  Fleet,  where  he 
remained  by  the  space  of  twelve  weeks,  because  he 
would  not  depart  with  the  said  Portion :  and  at  last, 
upon  a  Recognizance  made,  that  he  should  appear  before 
the  said  Lord  Cardinal,  whensoever  he  was  commanded, 
he  was  delivered  out  of  the  Fleet.  Howbeit,  as  yet, 
the  said  Portion  is  so  kept  from  him  that  he  dare  not 
deal  with  it." 


CHAPTER   XX. 


THE  Fleet  was,  evidently,  a  handy  prison,  elastic 
enough  to  suit  all  cases,  for  on  Aug.  19,  1553,  at 
the  Star  Chamber,  "  Roger  Erthe,  alias  Kinge,  ser- 
vaunt  to  Therle  of  Pembroke,  and  William  Ferror, 
servaunt  to  the  Lord  Sturton,  were,  for  making  of  a 
Fraye,  committed  to  the  Charge  of  Warden  of  the 
Fleete." 

In  September,  1553,  the  Fleet  received  a  prisoner 
whose  name  is  historical  wherever  the  English  language 
is  read,  for  the  Privy  Council  being  held  at  Richmond, 
on  the  1st  of  Sept.  "  This  day  appered  before  the  Lordes, 
John  Hooper,  Bishop  of  Gloucester,  and  Miles  Cover- 
dale,  Bishop  of  Exon.  And  the  said  Hooper,  for 
Considerations  the  Councell  moving,  was  sent  to  the 
Fleete." 

Turning  from  Mary's  reign  to  that  of  Elizabeth,  we 
find  equal  religious  intolerance,  for  we  read  in   Strype's 


248  Prisoners. 

u  Annals  of  the  Reformation,  a.d.  1582,"  that  Fleet- 
wood, the  Recorder  of  London,  sent  a  letter  to  the  Lord 
Treasurer,  informing  him  that  one  Osborn,  a  priest  and 
Franciscan  friar,  had  been  examined,  and  confessed  that 
"  in  crastino  Epiphani<z>  he  said  Mass  in  the  Fleet 
(where  many  recusants  were  committed)  in  the  Lord 
Vaux's  Chamber,  (to  whom  he  was  related)  before  that 
Lord,  Mr.  Tresham,  Mr.  Tyrwhit,  and  others,"  which 
three,  at  the  London  Sessions,  in  Guildhall,  were  con- 
victed on  Osborn's  evidence. 

Fleet  parsons  were  evidently  an  institution  in  the 
sixteenth  century,  for  besides  the  above-mentioned 
Osborn,  there  was  another  committed  to  the  Fleet,  on 
May  27,  1584,  one  Sir  R.  Stapleton.  His  fault  seems 
to  have  been  that  he  had  preached  against  the  Arch- 
bishop of  York,  for  which  he  was  arraigned  in  the  Star 
Chamber,  and  was,  with  others,  ordered  to  read  an 
apology — which  he  did — but  in  such  a  contemptuous 
manner,  that  he  was  sent  to  the  Fleet. 

In  the  seventeenth  century,  many  Puritans  were 
incarcerated  here,  especially  after  the  Restoration,  when 
their  gloomy  fanaticism  ill  accorded  with  the  ideas  of 
the  age.  The  bow  had  been  strung  too  tightly  during 
the  Commonwealth,  and  when  it  was  unstrung  the 
reaction  was  great.  So  many  were  put  into  prison  for 
conscience'  sake.  Even  in  Elizabeth's  reign  there  were 
many  in  prison,  and  we  can  hardly  wonder  at  it  when 
we  consider  it  was  an  age  of  religious  intolerance,  and 
the  religion  professed  by  these  devotees  was  of  a  most 
unattractive  character.  Strype,  writing  of  a.d.  1588, 
says  of  them  : 


Puritans.  249 

"  In  the  Summer  Time  they  meet  together  in  the 
Fields,  a  Mile  or  more.1  There  they  sit  down  upon 
a  Bank.  And  divers  of  them  expound  out  of  the  Bible, 
so  long  as  they  are  there  assembled. 

"  In  the  Winter  Time  they  assemble  themselves  by  five 
of  the  Clock  in  the  Morning  to  the  House  where  they 
make  their  Conventicle  for  the  Sabbath  Day,  Men  and 
Women  together.  There  they  continue  in  their  kind 
of  Prayers,  and  Exposition  of  Scriptures,  all  the  Day. 
They  Dine  together.  After  Dinner  make  Collections 
to  pay  for  their  Diet.  And  what  money  is  left,  some 
of  them  carryeth  to  the  Prisons,  where  any  of  their  sort 
be  committed. 

"  In  their  prayers,  one  speaketh,  and  the  rest  do 
groan  and  sob,  and  sithe,2  as  if  they  could  wring  out 
Tears.  But  say  not  after  him  that  prayeth.  Their 
Prayer  is  Ex  temporal!' 

In  January,  1600,  Lord  Grey  of  Wilton  was  com- 
mitted to  the  Fleet,  by  Queen  Elizabeth's  order,  for 
assaulting  the  Earl  of  Southampton,  on  horseback,  in 
the  public  street. 

There  is  a  fair  bibliography  of  the  Fleet  prison  in 
the  seventeenth  century.  In  1 620-1  there  was  a 
broadsheet  published  "A  briefe  collection  of  the 
exactions,  extortions,  oppressions,  tyrannies,  and  excesses 
towards  the  Hues,  bodies  and  goods  of  prisoners,  done 
by  Alexander  Harris^  Warden  of  the  Fleete,  in  his  foure 
yeares  misgouernment,  ready  to  be  proued  by  oath  and 
other  testimonies."     This  was  answered  by  Harris,  and 

1   Presumably,  jrom  the  town,  2  Sigh. 


250  Bibliography  of  Fleet  Prison. 

his  MS.,  which  is  in  the  possession  of  the  Duke  of  West- 
minster, was  published  by  the  Camden  Society  in  1879, 
entitled  the  "  (Economy  of  the  Fleete  ;  or  an  Apolo- 
geticall  Answeare  of  Alexander  Harris  (late  Warden 
there)  unto  XIX  Articles  set  forth  against  him  by  the 
prisoners."     Of  which  book  more  anon. 

Then  there  was  a  "  Petition  to  Parliament  of  the  dis- 
tressed prisoners  in  the  King's  Bench,  Fleet  and  other 
prisons — but  this  has  no  date.  In  1647  was  published 
"  A  Whip  for  the  Marshal's  Court  by  Robert  Robins 
Gent,  being  his  Petition  to  the  House  of  Commons." 
The  preface  to  the  Reader,  is  dated  from  the  Author's 
"Iron  Cage  in  the  Fleet."  In  1653  there  was  "A 
Schedule;  or,  List  of  the  Prisoners  in  the  Fleet  remain- 
ing in  custody  May  25,  1653."  Some  of  them  were 
very  bad  cases,  as  "  William  Gregory  committed 
February  7,  1651,  one  Outlawry  after  Judgment, 
severall  other  Outlawries  and  Trespasses,  no  sums 
mentioned  ;  "  or  "  Hustwayte  Wright  committed  June 
29,  1650,  for  £31  is.,  Execution,  besides  Outlawries, 
Latitats  and  Cap.  no  sum  appearing."  "  Thomas 
Keneston  committed  Nov.  4,  1646,  for  51,000  Actions, 
and  severall  Orders  of  the  Exchequer."  In  1669 
appeared  "  A  Companion  for  Debtors  and  Prisoners, 
and  advice  to  Creditors,  with  a  description  of  Newgate, 
the  Marshalsea,  the  two  Counties,  Ludgate,  the  Fleet, 
and  King's  Bench  prison."  In  1671  was  published 
"  A  Short  Narrative,  or  Anatomie  of  the  Fleet  Prison 
&c,"  by  John  Knap,  M.D.  In  1690  there  was  "A 
plea  for  the  City  Orphans  and  Prisoners  for  Debt." 
In  1691  appeared   a   soul-harrowing  little  book,   called 


A  Warden's  Troubles. 


251 


"  The  Cry  of  the  Oppressed,  a  tragicall  Account  of 
the  unparalleled  Sufferings  of  the  poor  imprisoned 
Debtors  and  Tyranny  of  their  Gaolers,  with  the  case  of 
the  Publisher  (Moses  Pitt)."  Here  the  interest  is  much 
heightened  by  numerous  engravings  showing  how 
prisoners  were  beaten,  made  to  feed  with  hogs,  were 
covered  with  boils  and  blains,  the  females  outraged  by 
their  gaolers,  and  many  other  enormities.  I  would 
fain  quote  at  length  from  this  book,  but  space  will  not 
admit  of  it.  In  1699  we  find  "An  Argument  that  it 
is  impossible  for  the  nation  to  be  rid  of  the  grievances 
occasioned  by  the  Marshal  of  the  King's  Bench  and 
Warden  of  the  Fleet,  without  an  utter  extirpation  of 
their  present  Offices." 

The  Case  as  made  out  by  the  prisoners  against  the 
Warden,  Alexander  Harris,  in  1 620-1,  was,  if  it  could 
have  been  thoroughly  substantiated,  most  damaging  to 
him,  but  they  overreached  themselves  by  their  manifest 
exaggeration.  A  few  examples  will  suffice.  There 
were  nineteen  counts  against  him  all  of  grievous  weight, 
but  we  will  only  take  four  as  a  fair  sample.  (1)  Mur- 
der; (2)  Felony;  (3)  Robbery;  (4)  Excessive  Rates 
for  Chambers.  First,  as  to  the  Charge  of  Murder,  this 
is  the  accusation  :  "  After  knowne  quarrels  and  fightings 
between  two  prisoners,  lodging  them  in  one  chamber, 
where,  quarrelling  and  fighting  againe,  and  notice  to 
him  thereof  giuen,  and  of  likely  further  mischiefe ;  this 
notwithstanding,  continuance  of  them  together,  vntil 
the  one  murthered  the  other." 

This  referred  to  two  prisoners,  Sir  John  Whitbrooke 
and    another    named    Boughton.       According    to    the 


252  A  Warden's  Troubles. 

Warden's  account  Whitbrooke  did  not  deserve  much 
pity.  In  July,  161 8,  he  was  given  into  the  Warden's 
Custody,  by  the  order  of  two  Courts,  to  be  kept  a  close 
prisoner,  but  he  soon  developed  "  dangerous  energy," 
for  on  the  10th  of  the  same  month,  almost  immediately 
after  his  committal,  he  "  came  into  the  Warden's  studdy 
where  the  Warden  (in  his  gowne)  was  wryteing,  and 
fashioned  his  speech,  sayeing  that  he  came  to  speake 
with  the  Warden  about  his  lodging,  who  answeared  that 
he  would  willingly  speake  about  that,  and  money  for  it, 
whereupon  the  Warden  putting  dust r  upon  the  wryteings 
and  turneing  his  back  to  lay  them  aside,  Sir  John 
Whitbrooke  strooke  him  on  the  head  with  the  sharpe 
ende  of  a  hammer,  whereof  one  Cleft  was  before  broken 
off,  and  the  other  cleft  newly  whett,  giveing  fower 
wounds  to  the  scull,  and  some  bruses  before  the  Warden 
could  close  with  him ;  but  then  the  Warden  thrusting 
him  out  of  the  studdy,  did  throwe  Whitbrooke  on  the 
back,  and  took  away  the  hammer,  Whitbrooke  (being 
undermost)  did  hould  the  forepart  of  the  Warden's 
gowne  soe  as  he  could  not  rise  ;  att  which  tyme  the 
Warden's  blood  abundantly  gushed  downe  upon  Whit- 
brooke, and  the  Warden  could  have  beaten  out  Whit- 
brooke's  braynes  with  the  hammer,  but  that  he  was 
neither  wrothfull  nor  daunted. 

"  Then  after,  two  maydes  servants  (heareing  the  noyse) 

1  There  was  no  blotting  paper  in  those  days,  but  pounce  was 
used,  which  was  either  powdered  resin,  gum  sandarach,  or  copal,  or 
powdered  cuttle  fish.  I  believe  that  pounce  may  even  now  be 
bought  at  law  stationers.  It  was  dusted  on  to  the  wet  ink  by 
means  of  a  pepper  caster. 


A  Warden's  Troubles.  253 

came  into  the  roome,  and  one  loosed  Whitbrooke's 
hands  from  the  Warden's  gowne,  or  ells  the  Warden 
must  have  killed  him  to  acquitt  himselfe.  Soe  soone  as 
the  maydes  came  the  Warden  shewed  them  the  hammer 
all  bloody,  telling  them  that  Whitbrooke  had  wounded 
him  therewith ;  the  butler  of  the  howse  then  alsoe  comeing 
upp  to  cover  the  table,  the  Warden  bidd  him  and  others 
(which  followed)  to  laye  hands  upon  Whitbrooke  &c. ; 
but  to  take  heed  they  hurt  him  not ;  soe  they  letting 
him  rise  and  rest  himselfe,  he  took  a  stiletto  out  of  his 
pockett  and  stabbed  the  Warden's  deputie  cleane  through 
the  middle  of  his  hand,  which  (notwithstanding  it  was 
presently  dressed  by  a  good  chirurgion)  did  rankle  upp 
to  his  shoulder,  and  was  like  to  have  killed  him  ;  he  also 
stabbed  the  porter  of  the  howse  directly  against  the 
heart,  and  drewe  blood,  but  it  pierced  not  :  he  stabbed 
the  gaoler  into  the  hand  and  twice  through  the  sleeve 
of  his  dublett,  so  as  then  they  lay  violent  hands  upon 
him,  put  on  irons  and  carry ed  him  to  the  strongest 
v/arde  of  the  prison  (called  Bolton's  warde)." 

And  a  perfectly  proper  punishment  for  any  one  who 
ran  amuk  like  Whitbrooke  because  there  was  an  organ- 
ized mutiny.  "  And  upon  this  some  three  score  prisoners 
breake  upp  all  the  strongest  prisons  and  dores  of  the 
wards  and  Tower  chamber,  assaulting  the  Warden  and 
his  servants  with  weapons  &c,  according  to  a  plott  and 
purpose  before  resolved  upon,  as  appeares  by  depositions." 

The  poor  Warden  had  no  bed  of  roses,  more  especially 
as  the  female  element  was  afterwards  introduced  in  the 
shape  of  Lady  Whitbrooke,  who  of  course,  was  a  warm 
partisan  of  her  husband.     Harris  writes  : 


254  A  Warden's  Troubles. 

"  The  lady  alJedgeth  that  in  September  the  quarrell 
betweene  the  Warden  and  Whitbrooke  was  renewed. 

"The  Warden  answeareth  that  in  July,  1619,  Whit- 
brooke and  Boughton  with  six  others  (being  lodged  in 
a  great  Chamber)  they  and  six  more  shutt  out  thirtie  of 
their  Companie  and  fortefied  the  gaole  against  the 
Warden,  refused  all  perswasions  of  the  Warden,  con- 
stables, and  Alderman's  Deputie,  the  comands  of  the 
Lord  Cheife  Justice,  of  the  Lord  Chauncellor  and  his 
Serjeant  at  Amies  ;  yet  yeilded  to  the  clarke  of  the 
councell  sent  from  the  Lords.  Whitbrooke  and 
Boughton  being  then  in  one  humour  ;  and,  upon  un- 
blocking the  prison,  Whitbrooke  desired  liberty  ;  it  was 
offred  him  upon  security,  he  would  give  none,  then  he 
made  question  where  to  lye,  to  which  was  answeared 
there  were  five  other  roomes  he  might  make  his  election 
of,  which  he  would ;  but  he  said  he  would  none  other 
but  where  he  formerly  laye  (it  being  indeed  the  fayrest). 
They  fortified  these  roomes  againe  when  the  Warden 
was  out  of  towne,  soe  as  during  Whitbrooke's  life  and 
Boughton's  being  there  with  their  adherents  the  War- 
den had  noe  comand  in  that  part  of  the  prison." 

It  is  almost  needless  to  say  that  these  peculiarly 
unquiet  spirits  quarrelled  among  themselves.  We  have 
heard  enough  of  Whitbrooke  to  know  that  he  was  a 
quarrelsome  cur — impatient  of  restraint,  and  thoroughly 
lawless  in  his  habits  ;  but  it  is  evident  that  he  persuaded 
his  wife  that  he  was  an  injured  innocent  ;  for,  in  poor 
Harris's  "  Apologia  pro  sua  vita,"  a  story  which  he 
tells  so   naively,    and   so    nicely,    he   says: 


A  Warden's  Troubles.  255 

"  The  lady  alledgeth  that  the  Warden  (for  revenge) 
resolved  and  reported  he  would  send  Whitbrooke  to 
Boulton  tokeepe. 

"  The  Warden  answeareth  that  he  for  governement 
sake  and  to  suppresse  misdemeanours  doth  thretten  to 
putt  prisoners  (offending)  into  Boulton7 s  Wards  (Many 
yeares  familiarlie  soe  called  as  he  thinketh  of  bolts  or 
irons  put  on  them),  where  Whitbrooke  was  put  when 
he  wounded  the  Warden  and  his  servants  ;  he  continued 
there  but  a  small  tyme,  and  was  removed  to  a  roome 
called  the  Tower  Chamber  (where  Henry  Boughtonand 
many  others  did  lye),  thence  Boughton  was  removed 
into  the  common  prison  in  December,  16 18,  and  Whit- 
brooke was  removed  thither  June  16,  1619,  soe  as  to 
that  tyme  they  lay  five  moneths  within  one  lodging,  and 
six  moneths  severed  in  other  lodgings  and  noe  quarrell 
stirred. 

"  The  Lady  alledgeth  that  presently  at  their  comeing 
together  Boughton  suddenly  stabbed  and  wounded 
Whitbrooke,  whereof  he  dyed. 

"  The  Warden  answeareth  that  over  and  above  the 
eleaven  months  aforesaid,  yet  from  June  16th  untill 
September  16,  16 19,  being  3  moneths,  they  two 
combyned  in  their  exploits  against  the  Warden  without 
falling  out  (for  ought  the  Warden  knewe),  but  16 
September  Boughton  fell  out  with  Harvey  (one  of  his 
chamber  felowes),  whom  Boughton  assayled  with  his 
teeth,  and  bitt  him  by  the  thombe,  whereof  Whit- 
brooke, Willis,  Harvey,  and  others  there  lodged, 
advised  the  Warden,  wishing  him  to  take  some  course. 
The   Warder    jent   divers  messages  by   the    gaoler  to 


2$6  A  Warden's  Troubles. 

Whitbrooke  to  remove  thence  and  to  lye  elsewhere  ;  he 
would  not,  sayeing  none  should  remove  him  but  by 
violence,  and  they  were  so  strong  there,  as  the  Warden 
could  doe  nothing,  none  ells  durst  come  amongst  them. 
Holmes  and  Maunsell  offered  him  libertie  amongst 
other  gentlemen  upon  bonds. 

"  The  Warden  acquainted  the  Lord  Chauncellor  of 
their  fortifications,  of  some  other  stabbing  there,  of  this 
particular  brawle,  and  besought  his  lordshipp  to  send 
them  to  Newgate.  The  Lord  Chauncellor  comanded 
such  motion  to  be  made  at  the  tyme  of  a  seale ;  it  was 
moved  by  Mr.  Woomelayson,  as  appeares  by  his  briefe, 
then  his  lordshipp  wished  oath  to  be  made  of  this 
offence,  and  called  for  presidents  I  to  remove  them,  in 
which  meane  tyme  Boughton  (being  provoked  and 
wounded  by  Whitbrooke)  did  stabb  him,  whereof  he 
dyed  within  13  dayes,  and  it  was  about  14  moneths 
after  he  wounded  the  Warden  and  stabbed  his  3 
servants  as  appeareth  by  the  generall  lodgeings  and 
places  where  they  laye,  sometymes  together,  and  some- 
tymes  severed,  ensueing  to  be  seene  in  the  end  of  this 
answeare  to  this  Article,  and,  if  the  testimony  (which 
was  long  after  delivered  to  the  Warden,  by  a  prisoner 
in  the  Fleete)  be  true,  then  the  same  Harvey,  and  one 
Tymothy  Willis  and  Sir  John  Whitbrooke  himselfe,  did 
(of  sett  purpose)  whett  on  Boughton  to  anger  and 
quarrell,  because  they  scorned  Boughton  and  meant  to 
assay le  him. 

"  When  Whitbrooke,  Boughton,  &c,  ymured  them- 
selves upp  in  the  wards  as  aforesaid,  a  view  or  survey 

1  Precedents. 


A  Warden's  Troubles.  257 

of  the  roomes  was  given  the  Lordes  of  the  CounceiJ, 
and  they  (were)  satisfied. 

"  After  the  tyme  of  the  supposed  quarrell  (which  was 
about  Whitbrooke's  and  Boughton's  fortifieing  the 
the  house)  they  contynued  lyeing  where  they  were 
before,  amongst  others. 

"Wheresoever  they  had  lyen  they  might  quarrell 
when  they  mett,  as  Whitbrooke  many  moneths  before 
broke  Willis  his  head  with  a  pott  or  candlestick." 

These  two  ill-conditioned  animals  fell  to  loggerheads, 
and  Boughton  drew  upon  Whitbrooke,  and  so  wounded 
him  that  eventually  he  died.  And  this  shows  the  very 
lax  discipline  that  then  obtained  in  the  Fleet.  Of  course, 
no  weapons  should  have  been  allowed,  but  "It  is  alsoe 
alledged  that  Boughton  did  provide  a  sword,  and  it  was 
brought  him  by  a  woeman  from  whom  the  porter  of 
the  Fleet  tooke  it,  and  delivered  it  to  the  Warden  (as 
he  did  indeed)  and  therefore  say  their  accusers  that  the 
Warden  knew  the  same  sword  was  to  kill  Whitbrooke. 

"  The  Warden  had  it  about  a  yeare  and  a  halfe  before 
this  accident  (of  Whitbrooke's  death)  happened,  and 
delivered  it  back  againe  to  the  woeman  that  brought  it, 
with  charge  not  to  bring  any  thither  whatsoever. 

"  It  was  avouched  that  the  sword  was  Boughton's, 
and  put  to  dressing  to  a  Cutler,  who  sent  it  home  againe, 
so  as  Boughton  might  have  killed  Whitbrooke  with  it 
before  it  went  to  dressing,  if  he  had  intended  any  such 
thing.  Nay,  Boughton  had  alwayes  in  his  trunck  (as 
appeared  afterwards)  a  stilletto  so  keene,  so  cleane  and 
ready,  as  would  soone  have  done  such  a  fact  if  he  had 
meant  it  ;   yea,  swords  and  other  weapons  want  not  in 

18 


258 


A  Warden's  Troubles. 


the  Fleete,  and  the  Warden  cannot  prevent  it.  This 
fact  was  mere  accidentall,  and  not  precogitate  as  the  Jawe 
hath  founde  it,  which  acquitted  Boughton  of  Man- 
slaughter upon  his  arraignement."  Harris,  I  think,  and, 
most  probably,  my  readers  will  agree  with  me,  has 
made  out  a  very  fair  case  in  his  own  favour ;  but  I 
must  not  deal  with  the  other  charges  against  him  at 
such  length. 


CHAPTER    XXL 


THE  second  count  brought  against  him  by  his 
mutinous  prisoners  was  "  Remouing  a  prisoner 
out  of  his  chamber,  hauing  5 1  lib.  1  s.  hid  vnder 
his  bed,  which  the  prisoner  required  he  might  go  to  his 
chamber  to  dispose  of,  which  was  denied,  and  he  thrust 
vp  in  another  roome  close  prisoner,  vntill  the  Warden 
and  some  of  his  seruants  rifled  his  bed  of  that  mony." 

Hear  the  Warden's  defence  : — "  By  this  is  pretended 
that  one  Coppin  (who  euer  did  beare  the  name  of  a 
poore  fellowe)  lost  51  li.,  with  takeing  whereof,  if  he 
dare  charge  any  person  or  persons  the  Lawe  is  and 
hath  beene  open  for  him  theis  two  yeares  past.  But 
his  abettors  haue  putt  it  here  rather  to  infame,  then 
that  they  can  think  it  true,  as  by  the  ensueing  answeare 
appeares. 

"  For  Edward  Coppin,  liued  as  a  poore  prisoner  in  the 
Fleete  for  breach  of  a  decree,  and  continueing  above  six 
yeares,  would  never  be  drawen  to  pay  the  Warden  one 


260  A  Warden's  Troubles. 

penny  for  meate,  drinke,  lodging,  or  attendance ;  but 
at  last  he  ran  away,  and  was  upon  the  Warden's 
pursuite  taken  againe,  but  before  he  ran  away,  he  was 
sometymes  restrayned  of  the  libertye  of  the  Fleete 
yards  and  walks  (as  is  the  custome  of  all  prisons  in 
England)  ;  and  he  lodging  in  the  three  Tower 
Chambers  with  sixteene  persons,  they  often  thretned 
their  keeper  to  stabb  him,  to  take  away  the  keyes  of 
the  prison,  to  bind  him,  to  hang  him;  lastly  they 
fortefied  that  prison,  soe  that  the  Warden  could  not 
dispose  or  order  them.  And  with  two  malletts  and 
Steele  chissells  they  had  cutt  the  stone  workes  of  the 
dore,  soe  as  noe  locks  or  bolts  could  shutt  them ;  and 
while  they  were  thus  doeinge  Coppin  came  downe  to 
fetch  a  mallett,  wherewith  he  was  taken  beneath,  and 
presentlie  put  into  another  warde  aparte  from  his 
fellowes,  about  three  a  clock  in  the  afternoone  15  July 
161 9,  not  speakeing  of  any  money." 

Master  Coppin  was  one  of  Boughton's  gang,  but 
even  that  malfaiseur  could  not  back  up  his  claim,  for 
"  A  rumour  was  spredd  in  the  Fleete  that  Coppin  had 
lost  50  li.  The  Warden  heareing  thereof,  sent  for 
Coppin,  and  asked  him  :  he  said  he  would  say  nothing 
except  Sir  Francis  Inglefield  were  present.  Then  the 
Warden  said,  Nay,  Coppin,  if  you  have  nothing  to  say 
to  me,  you  may  depart  againe. 

"  Then  the  Warden  was  informed  by  Mr.  Boughton 
and  Wall,  that  the  day  before  it  happened  that  Coppin 
was  removed,  they  had  made  meanes  to  borrowe  some 
money  upon  a  pawne,  and  Coppin  professed  and  swore 
he  had  not  so  much  (being  fower  (4)   pounds)  as  they 


The  Warden  of  the  Fleet.  261 

demanded.  Then  the  Warden  caused  Coppin's  trunck 
(being  new  and  well  locked)  to  be  opened  in  Coppin's 
presence,  and  delivered  it  to  him,  in  which  Trunck 
within  a  Bagg  put  in  a  Box  (as  they  said)  there  was 
about  xxixs ;  and  then  was  sett  on  foote  this  rumour 
when  Coppin  had  advised  with  Mr.  Rookwood  to  doe  it. 

"About  January  1620,  Edward  Coppin  confessed 
that  he  never  receaved  any  money  since  he  came  to 
Prison. 

"  Mr.  Williams  saith  that,  he  hath  heard  that  Coppin 
hath  confessed  that  he  lost  noe  money." 

So  we  may  acquit  the  Warden  on  this  count.  Poor 
Man !  he  had  a  rough  lot  to  deal  with,  but  it  is  to  our 
advantage  that  it  was  so,  for  his  refutation  of  the 
charges  brought  against  him  throws  a  flood  of  light  on 
the  domestic  manners  of  the  time,  and  of  the  Fleet 
prison  in  particular. 

The  third  count  against  the  Warden  was  one  of 
robbery,  "11  lib.  6  s.  taken  out  of  the  Trunk,  and  by 
violence,  from  the  person  of  a  close  prisoner  si  eke  in  his 
bed,  by  the  Warden  and  his  seruants."  And  Harris 
meets  this,  as  all  others,  fairly  and  straightforwardly. 
Says  he  : — "  This  toucheth  money  taken  from  one 
Thraske,  then  a  Jewdaiser,  or  halfe  Jewe,  committed 
close  prisoner  by  the  Lords  of  the  Councell,  from 
whom,  and  such  like,  though  in  the  Gatehouse,  King's 
Bench,  Fleete,  &c,  it  hath  beene  used  to  take  away  and 
keepe  their  money,  yet  the  Warden  tooke  not  his  until 
he  abused  it  very  dangerouslie,  and  whether  this  takeing 
away  may  be  said  Robbery,  let  the  answeare  followeing 
decide. 


262  The  Warden  of  the  Fleet. 

"  And  although  the  complainte  be  used  with  a  Cir- 
cumstance, as  if  the  Prisoner  were  sick,  thereby  to  make 
a  shewe  as  if  the  Warden  gaped  at  his  death  and  money; 
that  was  most  untrue  for  Thraske  was  in  perfect 
health." 

This  prisoner  was  sent  to  the  Fleet,  to  be  put  in  the 
pillory,  whipped  and  branded,  and,  besides,  to  suffer  soli- 
tary confinement,  but  he  found  means  to  write  letters  to 
the  King  and  the  Lord  Chancellor,  and  the  Warden  was 
much  blamed  for  allowing  him  so  to  do.  But  poor 
Harris,  who  must  have  been  plagued  almost  to  death 
by  his  very  recalcitrant  charges,  could  not  find  out 
whence  his  prisoner  procured  his  writing  materials,  and 
at  last  came  to  the  correct  conclusion  that  he  was 
bribing  the  gaoler  who  waited  upon  him.  So,  with 
some  servants,  he  personally  searched  Mr.  Thraske's 
apartment  and  person,  and  found  his  pens,  ink,  and 
paper,  and  also  £11  6s.  in  money,  together  with  a 
bag  and  cord  with  which  he  used  to  receive  supplies 
from  outside,  and  by  means  of  which  he  disseminated 
his  pernicious  literature.  All  of  which  the  Warden 
very  properly  confiscated,  but  the  money  was  kept,  and 
used  for  the  prisoner's  benefit.  "  When  Thraske  had 
worne  out  his  cloathes  and  desired  other,  the  Lord 
Chauncellor  bid  the  Warden  buy  for  Thraske  some 
cloathes,  which  was  done  accordingly,  even  soe  much 
as  Thraske  desired ;  the  Warden  alsoe  gave  him  money 
to  buy  wyne  for  his  comforte  at  tymes."  And,  in  the 
long  run,  the  poor  Warden  declares  that  he  was  about 
^80  out  of  pocket  by  his  prisoner. 

The    last    charge    we    will    investigate,    is    that    of 


The  Warden  of  the  Fleet.  263 

"  Excessiue  rates  of  Chambers."  (No.  13  on  the  list 
of  19)  "Whereby  orders  no  man  ought  to  pay  for 
any  Chamber,  the  Warden  allowing  bed  and  bedding, 
aboue  2s.  q.d.  a  weeke,  he  exacteth  8s.,  10s.,  13s.  ^.d.  and 
of  some  twentie  shillings  a  weeke  without  bedding." 
The  Warden  replies  to  this  that  "  the  Orders  of  the 
Prison  are,  That  noe  Parlor  Comoners  and  Hall 
Comoners  must  lye  two  in  a  Bedd  like  Prisoners,  They 
of  the  Parlor  at  ijs.  iiijd.  the  weeke.  They  of  the  Hall 
at  xiiijd.  If  any  such  will  lye  in  the  Prison  then  there 
is  noe  question  of  their  payment,  nor  any  more  required. 
But  the  missery  is  this  that  none  there  will  pay  at  all, 
but  stand  upon  it  that  they  should  pay  nothing,  which 
is  contrary  to  right,  to  Custome,  and  to  usage.  .  .  . 
An°  1597.  The  Prisoners  then  Articling  against  the 
Warden  Sett  forth  that  one  Prisoner  paid  xxxs.  others 
xxs.,  xvs.,  xiis.,  xs.  a  weeke  for  Chamber  without  Bedd. 
The  Warden  then  made  his  Answeare  to  the  Comittees 
that  he  took  xs.  a  Chamber,  and  the  rest  was  for  more 
chambers  than  one,  and  in  respect  of  Dyett,  though 
they  had  none,  but  fetched  it  abroad. 

"Soe  if  Prisoners  will  have  more  ease  than  ordinarie, 
and  a  Chamber  or  two  for  themselves  and  theirs  in  the 
Warden's  howse,  they  are  by  the  orders  and  Constitu- 
tions to  Compound  with  the  Warden  for  it,  it  being  the 
Warden's  freehould,  and  demyseable.  .  .  .  To  such 
prisoners  as  lye  two  in  a  Bedd,  the  Warden  is  to  find 
them  Bedd,  and  for  Bedd  and  Chamber  they  are  to  pay. 
Whether  by  Bedd  is  meant  all  furniture  of  Bedding, 
that  is  to  be  doubted,  for  it  was  never  put  in  practise ; 
but  as  for  those  which  lye  in  the  Warden's  freehould 


264  The  Warden  of  the  Fleet. 

by  agreement  he  is  not  bound  to  find  them  Bedd  or 
Bedding  except  it  be  so  conditioned.  And  such  will 
hardly  vouchsafe  to  lye  on  the  comon  Bedding  which 
passeth  from  Man  to  Man ;  And  the  Warden  can  as 
hardlie  buy  a  new  Bedd  for  every  new  prisoner  which 
cometh,  and  therefore  the  lodgings  of  ease  were  pro- 
vided for  men  of  quality  and  not  for  the  mean  sorte  of 
prisoners,  as  the  accusation  would  seeme  to  inferre  ; 
And  when  Mr.  Chamberlayne  informed  against  the 
Warden  touching  Chambers,  All  the  cheife  gentlemen 
in  the  Fleete  certified  under  their  hands  that  they  held 
their  Chambers  by  agreement  to  have  a  Chamber  alone 
to  each,  and  were  contented  with  the  rates." 

That  the  Wardenship  of  the  Fleet  was  an  onerous 
position,  may  be  inferred  from  Harris's  statement  that 
"  he  hath  had  at  one  tyme  the  King's  prisoners  for  two 
hundred  thowsand  I  pounds  debt,  besides  the  affayres 
of  State." 

That  the  office  of  Warden  of  the  Fleet  was  of  very 
ancient  origin  we  have  seen  in  the  case  of  Nathanael  de 
Leveland,  and  he  also  proves  that  it  was  heritable,  for 
he,  and  his  family,  had  held  it  for  130  years,  and  more. 
And  it  had  a  far-reaching  jurisdiction,  for  in  the  3 
Eliz.2  we  learn  that  "Upon  an  adjournment  of  the  term 
to  Hertford,  several  prisoners  were  committed  to  the 
Castle  there.  This  Castle  was  part  of  the  Duchy  of 
Lancaster.  The  Queen  had  granted  a  patent  to  A.  of 
the  Custody  of  this  Castle  for  his  Life ;  resolved  by  the 

1  Equal  in  our  currency  to  about  three  times  the  amount. 

2  Reports  of  Cases,  &c.,  by  Sir  James  Dyer  (ed.  1794)  v°l»  1U 
p.  204.  a. 


Purchase  of  Wardenship,  265 

Judges  that  the  Warden  of  the  Fleet  shall  have  the 
Custody  there  of  the  Prisoners  committed  by  the 
Chancery,  Common  Pleas  and  Exchequer:  For  he  is 
the  Officer  of  those  Corts ;  and  although  the  Patentee 
has  the  Custody  of  the  Castle,  and  though  it  be  the 
Prison  of  the  County,  yet  his  interest  ought  to  give 
place  to  the  public  weal,  and  common  justice." 

In  course  of  time,  the  Wardenship  became  a  position 
which  was  openly  sold ;  and  our  old  friend  Harris 
makes  no  secret  of  it.  "  They  likewise  alledge  that  i° 
Elizabeth  it  was  purchased  by  Tirrell  at  the  rate  of 
160  li.  per  annum  and  that  long  after  it  was  held  at 
100  li.  per  annum,  and  refused  for  200  li.  But  now  that 
(thorough  extortion)  there  is  made  4,000  li  per  annum 
by  the  relation  delivered  to  one  Mr.  Shotbolt. 

"  To  which  is  answeared,  that  the  purchase  paid  by 
Tirrell,  (as  appears  by  the  deed  inrolled)  was  6,000 
markes  or  4,000  li.  which,  if  it  be  devided  at  tenne  or 
twelve  yeares  purchase,  being  more  than  an  office  of 
that  nature  was  worth  in  those  dayes  (which  is  above 
three  score  yeares  past)  it  will  bring  400  li.  tenne  yeares 
purchase,  and  therefore  here  is  sutor  ultra  crepidamy  for 
160  li.  at  that  rate  would  yeild  but  1,600  li.  in  money, 
and  there  was  not  then  the  fift  part  of  the  buildings 
and  lodgings  which  now  are. 

"  Mr.  Anslowe  (as  is  credibly  informed)  held  it  by 
fyne  (and  otherwise)  at  600  li.  per  annum,  and  had  but 
some  part  of  the  benefitts  of  the  prison,  nothing  of  the 
pallace  at  Westminster.  And  as  for  this  Warden's 
valuation  of  it  at  4000  li.  per  annum,  it  might  be, 
supposeing  that  if  the  benefitts  of  the  pallace  were  had 


266  Bad  Discipline. 

&c.  But  what  if  the  one  with  the  other  cost  in 
expences  4,000  li.  per  annum,  what  will  be  then 
advanced  ?  "  &c. 

This  selling  of  the  Office  of  Warden,  led  to  a  great 
squabble  in  the  early  days  of  Queen  Anne's  reign,  and 
it  seems  to  have  arisen  in  this  way.  A  Warden  of  the 
Fleet,  named  Ford,  in  the  reign  of  William  and  Mary, 
was  found  guilty  of  suffering  one  Richard  Spencer  to 
escape,  but  was  acquitted  of  some  minor  charges,  and  a 
certain  Col.  Baldwin  Leighton  obtained  a  grant  of  the 
Office  on  April  6,  1690.  One  June  25,  1691,  this 
grant  was  quashed,  and  Leighton  soon  after  died.  A 
Mr.  Tilley,  in  the  fifth  year  of  William  and  Mary 
purchased  the  Inheritance  of  the  said  Office,  together 
with  the  Mansion  and  Gardens  thereto  appertaining, 
but  on  Dec.  23,  1704,  judgment  was  given  in  the 
Queen's  Bench  that  the  Office  be  seized  into  her 
Majesty's  hands,  and  this  was  affirmed  in  Parlia- 
ment. 

The  discipline  in  the  prison  at  this  time  seems  to 
have  been  very  bad,  so  much  so  that  many  witnesses 
who  could  have  spoken  of  Tilley's  misdeeds  were 
hindered  from  giving  evidence,  some  by  being  put  into 
dungeons  ;  others,  by  violence,  bribes,  or  other  artifices. 
Take  a  case  in  point,  which  happened  about  this  time. 
The  case  of  Robert  Elliot  and  others.  "  One  Francis 
Chartyres  was  Arrested  at  the  several  Suits  of  the  said 
several  Persons,  about  the  4th  of  May  last,  all  their 
Debts  amounting  to  140  1.  and  upwards,  which  cost 
them  20  1.  to  effect :  And  the  said  Francis  Chartyres 
being  a  stubborn  and  an  obstinate  Man,  and  dangerous 


Boundaries  of  the  Fleet.  267 

to  Arrest,  he  having  killed  several  Persons  upon  the 
like  attempt,  and  at  this  Arrest  run  the  Bayliffs  through. 
And  after  he  was  taken,  he  by  Habeas  Corpus  turned 
himself  over  to  the  said  Fleet  Prison.  And  Mr. 
Tilley,  and  the  Turnkey,  and  one  Whitwood,  an 
Officer  of  the  Fleet,  were  acquainted,  by  the  persons 
above  mentioned,  what  a  dangerous  Man  he  was,  and 
what  it  cost  them  to  take  him ;  but  they  took  no  notice 
thereof,  and  declared  they  would  let  him  out  for  all  of 
them  ;  and  so  they  did,  and  the  next  Day  the  said  Per- 
sons Arrested  him  again,  and  he  went  over  to  the  Fleet 
a  second  time,  and  was  immediately  set  at  liberty  ;  who, 
coming  to  the  Persons  aforesaid,  at  whose  Suit  he  was 
Arrested,  bid  them  defiance ;  saying,  He  was  a  Free- 
man, for  that  he  had  given  1 8  Guineas  for  it,  and  they 
should  never  have  a  farthing  of  their  Debts,  which  they 
now  doubt  of,  the  said  Chartyres  being  gone  for  Scot- 
land." 

Hatton,in  his  "New  View  of  London,"  1708,  gives, 
the  boundary  of  the  Rules,  and  also  descants  on  the 
pleasantness  of  the  Prison,  as  an  abode.  "  Fleet  Prison, 
situate  on  the  East  side  of  the  Ditch,  between  Ludgate 
Hill  and  Fleet  Lane,  but  the  Rules  extend  Southward 
on  the  East  side  of  Fleet  Canal  to  Ludgate  Hill,  and 
thence  Eastward  to  Cock  Ally  on  the  South  side  of 
Ludgate  Hill,  and  to  the  Old  Bayly  on  the  North,  and 
thence  Northward  in  the  Old  BayJey  both  sides  the 
Street,  to  Fleet  Lane,  and  all  that  Lane,  and  from  the 
West  End,  southward  to  the  Prison  again.  It  is  a 
Prison  for  Debtors  from  any  part  of  the  Kingdom,  for 
those  that  act  or  speak  any  thing  in  contempt  of  the 


268 


Preference  for  the  Fleet. 


Courts  of  Chancery  and  Common  Pleas ;  and  for  the 
pleasantness  of  the  Prison  and  Gardens,  and  the  afore- 
said large  extent  of  its  Rules,  it  is  preferred  before 
most  other  Prisons,  many  giving  Money  to  turn  them- 
selves over  to  this  from  others." 


CHAPTER    XXII. 


THINGS  got  so  bad  that  Parliament  ordered  a 
Committee  to  inquire  into  it,  and  they  began 
their  sitting  in  Feb.  25,  1729.  But,  previously, 
the  prisoners  had  petitioned  the  Lord  Chief  Justice 
and  other  justices  without  effect,  and  those  petitions 
with  Huggins'  (who  was  the  Warden)  replies  were 
published  in  a  folio  pamphlet,  which  contains  much 
information.1  The  first  petition  was  in  1723,  and  it 
was  mainly  addressed  to  the  extortions  of  the  Master, 
the  sixth  Article  alledging  that  the  fees  exacted  by  the 
Warden  were  in  excess  of  those  settled  by  Law,  Nov.  14., 
1693 — instanced  as  follows: 

Ware  Itii.  Legal. 

For  liberty  of  the  House  and  Irons  at  first 


coming  in 

••  £2 

4 

4 

1 

6 

8 

Chaplain    ... 

0 

2 

0 

Entering  every  Name  and  Cause 

0 

0 

4 

Porter's  fee 

..      0 

1 

0 

0 

1 

0 

Chamberlain's  Fee 

0 

3 

c 

0 

1 

0 

The  Dismission  Fee  for  every  Action 

0 

12 

6 

0 

7 

4 

Turnkey's  Dismission 

0 

2 

5 

6 
4 

£1 

16 

4 

1  "A  True  State  of  the  Proceedings  of  the  Prisoners  in  the  Fleet 
Prison,  in  Order  to  the  Redressing  their  Grievances  before  the 
Court  of  Common  Pleas." 


270  Complaints  of  the  Warden. 

The  eleventh  prayer  of  this  Petition  was,  "And 
lastly,  that  for  the  better  suppressing  Prophaneness  and 
Immorality  among  us,  and  that  the  Misery  of  Imprison- 
ment may  in  some  measure  be  alleviated  by  the  Obser- 
vance of  good  Manners,  Cleanliness,  and  Quietude,  we 
humbly  pray  your  Lordships  would  enable  us  to  regu- 
late our  selves  in  such  Manner  as  the  Prisoners  in  the 
King's  Bench  are  empowered  to  do  by  a  Rule  of  that 
Court,  20  die  post  festim  Sanctos  ctrinitatis.     1 1  Anne." 

Huggins  replied  to  all  the  petition,  but  his  answer  to 
No.  6  was  cc  The  Warden  saith,  That  so  soon  as  the 
Fees  were  settled  by  this  Honourable  Court,  he  caused 
a  Copy  thereof  to  be  framed  and  hung  up  in  the 
Common  Hall  of  the  House,  signed  by  Sir  George 
Cook ;  also  a  Copy  of  the  Rules  and  Orders  of  the 
House,  which  said  copies  the  Prisoners  were  pleased  to 
burn,  tear  to  Pieces,  and  obliterate  ;  and  the  Warden 
denies  that  he  has  taken  or  receiv'd,  or  any  for  him,  to 
his  knowledge,  more,  or  greater,  Fees  than  were  con- 
tained in  the  said  Copy  of  Fees  hung  up  in  the  said 
Prison." 

And  as  to  the  Eleventh  prayer  of  the  Petitioners 
"  The  Warden  saith,  that  the  Prisoners  in  general,  are 
so  very  ungovernable,  that  they  have  tore  up  the  Trees 
around  the  Bowling  Green,  and  cut  down  several  of  the 
Trees  in  the  back  part  of  the  Prison,  set  by  the  Warden 
some  years  since,  for  the  better  Accommodation  of  the 
Prisoners ;  also  broke  down  the  Stocks  in  the  said 
Prison,  and  the  Houses  of  Easement  were  fitted  up 
lately  by  the  Warden.;  they  have  torn  it  almost  to 
Pieces,   and    committed    other  Outrages,  and   most  of 


The  Warden   keeps  Corpses.  271 

them,  altho'  two  Years  in  Arrears  of  Rent  to  the 
Warden,  refuse  to  pay  him  any  Part  thereof,  and  will 
by  Force,  and  in  defiance  of  the  Warden  and  his 
Officers,  keep  in  Possession  of  the  Rooms  and  Furni- 
tures, Swearing  to  stand  by  each  other." 

Petition  after  petition  was  sent  from  the  Prisoners  to 
the  Lord  Chief  Justice  about  the  oppressions  of  Huggins 
and  his  myrmidons,  and  duly  answered  in  some  shape 
by  the  Warden,  but  there  was  one,  in  which  the  four- 
teenth Charge  is  as  follows.  "  That  the  Warden,  on 
the  Death  of  any  Prisoner  detains  the  Body  from  his 
Friends  and  Relations  untill  they  will  pay  him,  what 
Chamber  Rent  was  due  from  the  Deceased ;  and  in  the 
mean  Time  his  cruel  and  unchristian  like  Practice,  is  to 
make  the  best  Bargain  he  can  with  the  poor  Family 
of  the  Deceased,  for  the  Purchase  of  the  Dead  Body,  in 
order  to  give  it  Christian  Burial,  at  their  own  Expence, 
by  which  means  he  often  extorts  large  Sums  of  Money, 
for  granting  the  Relations  the  Liberty  of  taking  away 
and  burying  the  Dead  Body ;  which  tho'  a  very  natural 
and  reasonable  Desire,  is  nevertheless  often  frustrated  by 
their  Inability  to  purchase  it  at  his  Price,  and,  rather 
than  accept  what  may  be  in  their  Power  to  give  him, 
he  often  suffers  the  Dead  Body  to  lye  above  Ground 
seven  or  eight  Days,  and  often  Times  eleven  or  twelve 
Days,  to  the  great  endangering  of  the  Health  of  the 
whole  Prison,  by  the  nauseous  Stench,  which  being 
often  times  the  Case,  is  very  offensive  all  over  the 
House  ;  and  when  he  has  refused  what  he  thought  not 
worth  his  Acceptance,  he  buries  them  in  the  common 
Burying  place  for  Prisoners,  when  the  Body   is  often 


272  HUGGINS    AND    BaMBRIDGE. 

taken  up  by  their  Friends  to  be  bury'd  their  own  Way, 
and  the  Warden  seizes  to  his  own  Use  the  Cloaths, 
Furniture,  and  what  ever  else  there  is  for  Fees  and 
Chamber  Rent,  which  he  pretends  to  be  due  from  the 
said  deceased  Prisoner." 

Huggins'  reply  to  this  was  diabolically  insolent. 
cc  For  Answer  thereto,  My  Lords,  the  Deputy  Warden 
saith,  That  scarcely  a  Prisoner  hath  died  on  the  Masters- 
Side,  that  was  not  largely  indebted  to  him  ;  and  there- 
fore, possibly,  he  might  have  used  endeavours  to  get 
what  part  of  the  Money  was  due  to  him,  as  he  could 
fairly  from  the  Deceased's  Relations." 

But  the  Cup  of  his  iniquities  was  rapidly  filling.  He 
made  one  Thomas  Bambridge  "  A  Newgate  So  Hi  ci  tor, 
and  a  Person  of  abandoned  Credit "  (as  the  petition  in 
the  case  of  Mr.  Mackphreadris  describes  him)  his 
deputy  warden,  and  then,  things  came  to  a  climax.  As 
we  have  seen,  Parliament  took  cognizance  of  the  scan- 
dal, and  issued  a  Commission  to  inquire  into  the 
matter,  and  their  first  sitting  was  on  Feb.  25,  1729. 
Their  report  was  presented  to  Parliament  on  March  20th 
of  the  same  year — so  that  no  time  was  lost  in  looking 
into  the  evils  complained  of. 

It  recites  that  Huggins  by  a  gift  of  ^5,000  to  Lord 
Clarendon  "  did  by  his  interest,  obtain  a  grant  of  the 
said  office  (i.e.,  Warden  of  the  Fleet)  for  his  own  and 
his  son's  life. 

"  That  it  appeared  to  the  Committee,  That  in  the 
Year  1725,  one  Mr.  Arne,  an  Upholder,  was  carried 
into  a  Stable,  which  stood  where  the  strong  room  on 
the  Master's  side  now  is,  and  was  there  confined  (being 


Bambridge  and  Castell.  273 

a  place  of  cold  restraint)  till  he  died,  and  that  he  was 
in  good  state  of  health  before  he  was  confined  to  that 
room." 

Huggins  growing  old,  sold  his  interest  in  the 
Wardenship  of  the  Fleet,  and  his  Son's  reversion 
therein,  to  Bambridge  and  Cuthbert,  for  the  sum  he 
had  originally  given  for  the  place ;  and  then  Bambridge, 
being  his  own  master,  went  somewhat  ahead,  and  the 
Committee  found  that  he  connived  at  escapes,  sent  his 
prisoners  to  Spunging-houses,  or  private  prisons,  not  so 
long  ago  done  away  with,  where  they  were  well,  or 
badly  treated,  according  to  the  money  at  their  disposal. 

And  we  read  of  one  shocking  case,  which  can  best 
be  given  in  the  very  words  of  the  Report.  "That 
these  houses  were  further  used  by  the  said  Bambridge, 
as  a  terror  for  extorting  money  from  the  prisoners,  who, 
on  security  given,  have  the  liberty  of  the  rules ;  of 
which  Mr.  Robert  Castell  was  an  unhappy  instance,  a 
man  born  to  a  competent  estate,  but  being  unfortunately 
plunged  into  debt,  was  thrown  into  prison  :  he  was  first 
sent  (according  to  custom)  to  Corbett's,1  from  whence 
he,  by  presents  to  Bambridge,  redeemed  himself,  and, 
giving  security  obtained  the  liberty  of  the  rules ;  not- 
withstanding which  he  had  frequently  presents,  as  they 
are  called,  exacted  from  him  by  Bambridge,  and  was 
menaced,  on  refusal,  to  be  sent  back  to  Corbett's  again. 

"  The  said  Bambridge  having  thus  unlawfully  ex- 
torted large  sums  of  money  from  him  in  a  very  short 
time,  Castell  grew  weary  of  being  made  such  a  wretched 
property,  and,  resolving  not  to  injure  further  his  family 

1  A  spunging-housc. 
IQ 


274  Bambridge  and  Castell. 

or  his  creditors  for  the  sake  of  so  small  a  liberty,  he 
refused  to  submit  to  further  exactions  ;  upon  which  the 
said  Bambridge  ordered  him  to  be  re- committed  to 
Corbett's,  where  the  smallpox  then  raged,  though 
Castell  acquainted  him  with  his  not  having  had  that 
distemper,  and  that  he  dreaded  it  so  much,  that  the 
putting  him  into  a  house  where  it  was,  would  occasion 
his  death,  which,  if  it  happened  before  he  could  settle 
his  affairs,  would  be  a  great  prejudice  to  his  creditors, 
and  would  expose  his  family  to  destitution  ;  and  there- 
fore he  earnestly  desired  that  he  might  either  be  sent  to 
another  house,  or  even  into  the  gaol  itself,  as  a  favor. 
The  melancholy  case  of  this  poor  gentleman  moved  the 
very  agents  of  the  said  Bambridge  to  compassion,  so 
that  they  used  their  utmost  endeavours  to  dissuade  him 
from  sending  this  unhappy  prisoner  to  that  infected 
house ;  but  Bambridge  forced  him  thither,  where  he  (as 
he  feared  he  should)  caught  the  smallpox,  and,  in  a 
few  days,  died  thereof,  justly  charging  the  said  Bam- 
bridge with  his  death  ;  and  unhappily  leaving  all  his 
affairs  in  the  greatest  confusion,  and  a  numerous  family 
of  small  children  in  the  utmost  distress." 

He  squeezed  everybody,  made  what  rules  he  liked, 
and  introduced  new  and  pernicious  customs,  for,  says 
the  Report,  "  It  appeared  to  the  Committee,  that  the 
letting  out  of  tne  Fleet  tenements  to  Victuallers,  for  the 
reception  of  Prisoners,  hath  been  but  of  late  practised, 
and  that  the  first  of  them  let  for  this  purpose  was  to 
Mary  Whitwood,  who  still  continues  tenant  of  the  same, 
and  that  her  rent  has,  from  32  1.  per.  ann.  been  in- 
creased to  60  1.  and  a  certain  number  of  prisoners  stipu- 


The  First  Prisoner  in  Irons.  275 

lated  to  be  made  a  prey  of,  to  enable  her  to  pay  so 
great  a  rent;  and  that  she,  to  procure  the  benefit  of 
having  such  a  number  of  prisoners  sent  to  her  house, 
hath,  over  and  above  the  increased  rent,  been  obliged 
to  make  a  present  to  the  said  Bambridge  of  forty 
guineas,  as  also  of  a  toy  (as  it  is  called),  being  the 
model  of  a  Chinese  ship,  made  of  amber,  set  in  silver,  for 
which  fourscore  broad  pieces  had  been  offered  her.  .  .  . 

"And,  notwithstanding  the  payment  of  such  large 
fees,  in  order  to  extort  further  sums  from  the  unfortu- 
nate prisoners,  the  said  Bambridge  unjustly  pretends  he 
has  a  right,  as  warden,  to  exercise  an  unlimited  power 
of  changing  prisoners  from  room  to  room;  of  turning 
them  into  the  common  side,  though  they  have  paid  the 
masters  side  fee ;  and  inflicting  arbitrary  punishments 
by  locking  them  down  in  unwholesome  dungeons,  and 
loading  them  with  torturing  irons." 

According  to  the  Committee's  report,  Jacob  Mendez 
Solas,  a  Portuguese,  was,  as  far  as  they  knew,  the  first 
prisoner  that  was  ever  loaded  with  irons  in  the  Fleet. 
He  was  thrown  into  a  noisome  dungeon,  which  is  de- 
scribed as  a  place  "  wherein  the  bodies  of  persons  dying 
in  the  said  prison  are  usually  deposited,  till  the  coroner's 
inquest  hath  passed  upon  them ;  it  has  no  chimney,  nor 
fireplace,  nor  any  light  but  what  comes  over  the  door, 
or  through  a  hole  of  about  eight  inches  square.  It  is 
neither  paved  nor  boarded,  and  the  rough  bricks  appear 
both  on  the  sides  and  top,  being  neither  wainscotted, 
nor  plastered ;  what  adds  to  the  dampness  and  stench  of 
the  place  is,  its  being  built  over  the  common  sewer,  and 
adjoining  to  the  sink  and  dunghill  where  all  the  nasti- 


276     Acquittal  of  Huggins  and  Bambridge. 

ness  of  the  prison  is  cast.  In  this  miserable  place  the 
poor  wretch  was  kept  by  the  said  Bambridge,  manacled 
and  shackled  for  near  two  months.  At  length,  on 
receiving  five  guineas  from  Mr.  Kemp,  a  friend  of  Sola's, 
Bambridge  released  the  prisoner  from  his  cruel  confine- 
ment. But,  though  his  chains  were  taken  off,  his  terror 
still  remained,  and  the  unhappy  man  was  prevailed  upon 
by  that  terror,  not  only  to  labour  gratis  for  the  said 
Bambridge,  but  to  swear  also  at  random  all  that  he  hath 
required  of  him  :  and  the  Committee  themselves  saw  an 
instance  of  the  deep  impression  his  sufferings  had  made 
upon  him  ;  for  on  his  surmising,  from  something  said, 
that  Bambridge  was  to  return  again,  as  Warden  of  the 
Fleet,  he  fainted,  and  the  blood  started  out  of  his  mouth 
and  nose." 

The  upshot  of  this  Committee  was  that  the  House 
petitioned  the  King  to  prosecute  Huggins,  Bambridge, 
and  their  satellites,  who  were  all  ordered  to  be  com- 
mitted to  Newgate  for  trial.  Huggins  was  tried,  or 
rather  the  preliminaries  of  his  trial  were  arranged  on  the 
20th  of  May,  1729;  but  his  trial  for  the  murder  of 
Edward  Arne,  a  prisoner  in  the  Fleet  prison,  by  im- 
muring him  in  the  dungeon  above  described,  from  the 
effect  of  which  confinement  he  subsequently  died,  did 
not  take  place  until  next  day.  After  a  long  and  patient 
trial,  he  was  acquitted ;  and  he  managed,  not  only  to 
survive  his  disgrace,  but  live  to  the  age  of  90. 

Bambridge  was  also  tried,  at  the  Old  Bailey,  for  the 
murder  of  Robert  Castell,  as  before  described,  but  he  was 
acquitted  by  the  Jury.  Upon  this  acquittal,  CastelFs 
widow  brought  an  appeal  against  Thomas  Bambridge, 


BAMBRIDGE. 


278 


Bambridge  and  His  Prisoners. 


and  Richard  Corbett,  for  the  murder  of  her  husband ; 
but  here  their  luck  still  stood  them  in  stead,  for  they 
were  both  acquitted.  Bambridge,  some  twenty  years 
after,  committed  suicide  by  cutting  his  throat. 

Hogarth,  in  1729,  received  a  Commission  from  Sir 
Archibald  Grant  of  Monnymusk,  Bart.,  who  was  one 
of  the  Committee,  to  paint  a  portrait  picture  of  his 
brother  Commissioners  with  Bambridge,  and  the  irons 
used  by  him   in  the  Fleet.     Bambridge    is   decidedly 


A    PRISONER   IN    IRONS. 


Chapel  in   the  Fleet.  279 

nervous — and  a  poor  prisoner  is  introduced  into  the 
picture,  though  I  cannot  find,  from  the  Report,  that  he 
really  was  before  the  Committee  of  the  House. 

These  prosecutions  somewhat  purified  the  atmosphere 
of  the  Fleet,  but  still  there  were  grumbles,  as  there 
naturally  will  be  when  men  are  restrained  in  their  liberty, 
and  are  left  to  brood  upon  their  miseries,  and  incarcera- 
tion;  but  the  little  pamphlet,1  which  airs  these 
grievances,  deals  principally  with  the  hardships  of  fees, 
and  the  dilapidated  state  of  the  Common  Side.  The 
title-page  prepares  one  for  a  not  over  cheerful  ten 
minutes'  reading. 

"  When  Fortune  keeps  Thee  Warm  ; 
Then  Friends  will  to  Thee  swarm, 

Like  Bees  about  a  Hofiey  pot  : 
But,  if  she  chance  to  frown, 
And  rudely  kick  Thee  down, 

Why  then — What  then  ?     Lie  there  and  ROT" 

The  writer  says  that  after  the  reign  of  Huggins 
and  Bambridge,  the  Chapel  was  adorned — and  the 
great  Hall  adjoining,  formerly  for  the  Use  of  the 
Prisoners,  "  is  now  made  into  a  commodious  new  Coffee 
House,  and  thought  to  be  as  Compleat  a  one,  as  any  in 
Town  (wherein  one  of  the  Warden's  Servants  is  put, 
to  be  useful  upon  Occasion).  Part  of  the  Pews  in  the 
Chapel  being  taken  into  it  to  make  it  compleat?  and 
serves  for  a  Bar  and  Bedchamber. 

1  "  Remarks  on  the  Fleet  Prison  or  Lumber-House  for  Men  and 
Women.    Written  by  a  prisoner  &c,  published  in  the  Fleet,  1733." 

2  The  italics  are  mine. — J.  A. 


280  Begging. 

"  Opposite  to  the  Great  Hall,  or  Coffee  Room,  is  the 
Begging-Grate,  where  Prisoners  had  an  Opportunity  to 
speak  with  a  Friend,  and  sometimes  get  Sight  of  one 
whose  Inclinations  did  not  lead  him  to  pay  a  Visit  to 
the  Place,  wou'd  drop  a  Shilling,  and  perhaps  some 
Beer  to  the  Beggars ;  but  now  the  same,  altho'  of  an 
ancient  standing,  is  Brick'd  up,  and  the  unhappy  Persons 
who  can't  submit  to  beg,  depriv'd  of  viewing  the  Street, 
or  seeing  their  Chance  Friends."  So  we  see,  that 
although  the  comforts  of  the  inmates  had  been  some- 
what looked  after,  this  little  privilege,  which  they  had 
long  enjoyed,  and,  doubtless,  as  long  abused,  was  taken 
from  them.     It  was,  afterwards,  restored. 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 

BUT  enough  of  the  miserables  in  connection  with 
the  Fleet  Prison.  We  shall  find  that  it  is  even 
possible  for  a  prisoner  to  write  pleasantly,  nay, 
even  somewhat  humorously,  upon  his  position,  as  we 
may  see  by  the  perusal  of  a  poem  entitled  "  The 
Humours  of  the  Fleet.  An  humorous,  descriptive 
Poem.  Written  by  a  Gentleman  of  the  College  "  &c, 
Lond.  1749.  Under  the  frontispiece,  which  represents 
the  introduction  of  a  prisoner  into  its  precincts,  is  a 
poem  of  thirty- two  lines,  of  which  the  following  is  a 
portion : — 


_t3 


THE  DEBTORS'  WELCOME  TO  THEIR  BROTHER. 


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284  Admission  to  the  Fleet  Prison. 


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lay,  Or  your  Coat  will     be    in    Danger, — You  must  ei  -  ther  strip  or   pay. 


Here  we  see,  very  vividly  depicted,  the  introduction 


The  Humours  of  the  Fleet.  285 

of  a  new  prisoner;  the  Chamberlain  is  introducing  him 
to  the  Cook,  whilst  the  Goaler  and  Tapster  seem,  already, 
to  have  made  his  acquaintance. 

The  notes  appended  to  the  Poem  are  in  the  original. 

After  a  somewhat  long  exordium  on  prosperity  and 
poverty,  together  with  the  horrors  of  a  spunging- house, 
and  imagining  that  the  debtor  has  obtained  his  Habeas, 
which  would  permit  him  to  choose  his  prison,  the  Poet 
thus  sings : 

"  Close  by  the  Borders  of  a  slimy  Flood, 
Which  now  in  secret  rumbles  thro'  the  Mud  ; 
(Tho'  heretofore  it  roll'd  expos'd  to  Light, 
Obnoxious  to  th'  offended  City's  Sight.)  * 

"  Twin  Arches  now  the  Sable  Stream  enclose 
Upon  whose  Basis  late  a  Fabrick  rose  ; 
In  whose  extended  oblong  Boundaries, 
Are  Shops  and  Sheds,  and  Stalls  of  all  Degrees, 
For  Fruit,  Meat,  Herbage,  Trinkets,  Pork  and  Peas 
A  prudent  City  Scheme,  and  kindly  meant ; 
The  Town's  oblig'd,  their  Worships  touch  the  Rent. 

"Near  this  commodious  Market's  miry  Verge, 
The  Prince  of  Prisons  Stands,  compact  and  large ; 
When,  by  the  Jigger's  2  more  than  magick  Charm, 
Kept  from  the  Pow'r  of  doing  Good — or  Harm, 
Relenting  Captives  only  ruminate 
Misconduct  past,  and  curse  their  present  State  ; 
Tho'  sorely  griev'd,  few  are  so  void  of  Grace, 
As  not  to  wear  a  seeming  chearful  Face  : 

1  Where  the  Fleet  Market  is  now,  there,  was,  a  few  Years  since, 
a  Ditch,  with  a  Muddy  Channel  of  Water.  The  Market  was  built 
at  the  expense  of  the  Lord  Mayor  and  Court  of  Aldermen,  who 
receive  the  Rent  for  it. 

2  The  Door-keeper,  or  he  who  opens  and  shuts  the  "Jigg,^  call'd 
the  Jigger, 


286  The  Humours  of  the  Fleet. 

In  Drinks  or  Sports  ungrateful  Thoughts  must  die, 
For  who  can  bear  Heart-wounding  Calumny  ? 
Therefore  Cabals  engage  of  various  Sorts, 
To  walk,  to  drink,  or  play  at  different  Sports  : 
Here,  on  the  oblong  Table's  verdant  Plain, 
The  ivory  Ball  bounds,  and  rebounds  again  ; 
There,  at  Backgammon,  two  sit  tete  a  tete, 
And  curse  alternately  their  Adverse  Fate  ; 
These  are  at  Cribbage,  those  at  Whist  engag'd 
And,  as  they  lose,  by  turns  become  enrag'd  : 
Some  of  more  sedentary  Temper,  read 
Chance-medley  Books,  which  duller  Dullness  breed  ; 
Or  Politicks  in  Coffee-Room,  some  pore 
The  Papers  and  Advertisements  thrice  o'er  : 
Warm'd  with  the  Alderman*  some  set  up  late, 
To  fix  th'  Insolvent  Bill,  and  Nation's  Fate  ; 
Hence,  knotty  Points  at  different  Tables  rise, 
And  either  Party's  wond'rous,  wond'rous  wise  : 
Some  of  low  Taste,  ring  Hand  Bells,  direful  Noise  ! 
And  interrupt  their  Fellows'  harmless  Joys  ; 
Disputes  more  noisy  now  a  Ouarrel  breeds. 
And  Fools  on  both  Sides  fall  to  Loggerheads  : 
Till  wearied  with  persuasive  Thumps  and  Blows, 
They  drink,  and  Friends,  as  tho'  they  ne'er  were  Foes. 

"Without  Distinction,  intermix'd  is  seen, 
A  'Squire  quite  dirty,  a  Mechanick  clean  : 
The  Spendthrift  Heir,  who  in  his  Chariot  roll'd, 
All  his  Possessions  gone,  Reversions  sold, 
Now  mean,  as  once  Profuse,  the  stupid  Sot 
Sits  by  a  Runner's  Side,3  and  shules  4  a  Pot. 


1  Billiards  is  a  very  common  Game  here. 

2  Fine   Ale   drank  in    the    Coffee-Room,    call'd    the   Alderman, 
because  brew'd  at  Alderman  Parson's. 

3  A   Runner,  is  a  Fellow  that  goes  Abroad  of  Errands  for  the 
Prisoners. 

4  A  common  Cant  word  for  Mumping. 


The  Humours  of  the  Fleet.  187 

"Some  Sots  ill-manner'd,  drunk,  a  harmless  Fight ! 
Rant  noisy  thro'  the  Galleries  all  Night  ; 
For  which,  if  Justice  had  been  done  of  late, 
The  Pump  z  had  been  three  pretty  Masters  Fate. 
With  Stomacks  empty,  and  Heads  full  of  Care 
Some  Wretches  swill  the  Pump  and  walk  the  Bare  ;2 
Within  whose  ample  Oval  is  a  Court, 
Where  the  more  Active  and  Robust  resort, 
And  glowing,  exercise  a  manly  Sport 
(Strong  Exercise  with  mod'rate  Food  is  good, 
It  drives  in  sprightful  Streams  the  circling  Blood  ;) 
While  these  with  Rackets  strike  the  flying  Ball, 
Some  play  at  Nine  Pins,  Wrestlers  take  a  Fall ; 
Beneath  a  Tent  some  drink,  and  some  above 
Are  slily  in  their  Chambers  making  Love  ; 
Venus  and  Bacchus  each  keeps  here  a  Shrine, 
And  many  Vot'ries  have  to  Love  and  Wine. 


"  Such  the  Amusement  of  this  merry  Jail, 
Which  you'll  not  reach,  if  Friends  or  Money  fail  : 
For  e'er  its  three-fold  Gates  it  will  unfold, 
The  destin'd  Captive  must  produce  some  Gold  : 
Four  Guineas,  at  the  least,  for  diff'rent  Fees, 
Compleats  your  Habeas,  and  commands  the  keys ; 
Which  done,  and  safely  in,  no  more  you're  led, 
If  you  have  Cash,  you'll  find  a  Friend  and  Bed  ; 
But,  that  deficient,  you'll  but  111  betide, 
Lie  in  the  Hall, 3  perhaps,  or  Common  Side. 4 


1  Persons  who  give  any  considerable  Offence,  are  often  try'd, 
and  undergo  the  Discipline  of  the  Pump.  The  Author  was  one  of 
these  in  a  drunken  Frolick,  for  which  he  condemns  himself. 

2  A  spacious  Place,  where  there  are  all  Sorts  of  Exercises,  but 
especially  Fives. 

3  A  Publick  Place,  free  for  all  Prisoners. 

4  Where  those  lie  who  can't  pay  their  Master's  Fee. 


The  Humours  of  the  Fleet. 

"  But  now  around  you  gazing  Jiggers  r  swarm, 
To  draw  your  Picture,  that's  their  usual  Term  ; 
Your  Form  and  Features  strictly  they  survey, 
Then  leave  you,  (if  you  can)  to  run  away. 

"  To  them  succeeds  the  Chamberlain,  to  see 
If  you  and  he  are  likely  to  agree  ; 
Whether  you'll  tip,2  or  pay  your  Master's  Fee. 3 
Ask  him  how  much  ?     'Tis  one  Pound  six  and  eight: 
And,  if  you  want,  he'll  not  the  Twopence  bate  : 
When  paid,  he  puts  on  an  important  Face, 
And  shews  Mount  Scoundrel  *  for  a  charming  Place  : 
You  stand  astonish'd  at  the  darken'd  Hole, 
Sighing,  the  Lord  have  Merey  on  my  Soul  ! 
And  ask,  have  you  no  other  Rooms,  Sir,  pray  ? 
Perhaps  enquire  what  Rent  too,  you're  to  pay  ; 
Entreating  that  he  wou'd  a  better  seek  ; 
The  Rent  (cries  gruffly  's) — Half  a  Crown  a  Week. 
The  Rooms  have  all  a  Price,  some  good,  some  bad  ; 
But  pleasant  ones  at  present  can't  be  had  : 
This  Room,  in  my  Opinion's  not  amiss ; 
Then  cross  his  venal  Palm  with  half  a  Piece5 
He  strait  accosts  you  with  another  Face. 


1  There  are  several  of  those  Jiggers  or  Doorkeepers,  who  re- 
lieve one  another,  and  when  a  Prisoner  comes  first  in,  they  take  a 
nice  Observation  of  him,  for  fear  of  his  escaping. 

2  A  cant  Word  for  giving  some  Money  in  order  to  shew  a 
Lodging. 

3  Which  is  One  Pound  Six  Shillings  and  Eightpence,  and  then 
you  are  entitled  to  a  Bed  on  the  Master's  Side,  for  which  you  pay 
so  much  per  week. 

4  Mount  Scoundrel,  so  call'd  from  its  being  so  highly  situated,  and 
belonging  once  to  the  Common  Side,  tho'  lately  added  to  the 
Master's  ;  if  there  be  room  in  the  House,  this  Place  is  first  empty, 
and  the  Chamberlain  commonly  shews  this  to  raise  his  price  upon 
you  for  a  better. 

5  Haifa  Guinea. 


The  Humours  of  the  Fleet.  289 

"  Sir  you're  a  Gentleman  ; — I  like  you  well, 
But  who  are  such  at  first,  we  cannot  tell ; 
Tho'  your  Behaviour  speaks  you  what  I  thought, 
And  therefore  I'll  oblige  you  as  I  ought  : 

"  How  your  Affairs  may  stand,  I  do  not  know, 
But  here,  Sir,  Cash  does  frequently  run  low. 
I'll  serve  you, — don't  be  lavish, — only  mum  ! 
Take  my  Advice,  I'll  help  you  to  a  Chum  !  x 
A  Gentleman,  Sir, — see,  and  hear  him  speak, 
With  him  you'll  pay  but  fifteen  Pence  a  Week  ; 2 
Yet  his  Apartment  's  on  the  Upper  Floor,3 
Well  furnish'd,  clean  and  nice  ;  who'd  wish  for  more  ? 
A  Gentleman  of  Wit  and  Judgment  too  ! 
Who  knows  the  Place  ;4  what's  what,  and  who  is  who  ; 
My  Praise,  alas  !  can't  equal  his  Deserts ; 
In  brief, — you'll  find  him,  Sir,  a  Man  of  Parts. 

"Thus,  while  his  fav'rite  Friend  he  recommend?, 
He  compasses  at  once  their  several  Ends; 
The  new  come  Guest  is  pleas'd,  that  he  should  meet 
So  kind  a  Chamberlain,  a  Chum  so  neat  : 
But,  as  conversing  thus,  they  nearer  come, 
Behold  before  his  Door,  the  destin'd  Chum. 

"Why  stood  he  there,  himself  could  scarcely  tell  ; 
But  there  he  had  not  stood,  had  Things  gone  well  : 


1  A  Bedfellow  so  call'd. 

*  When  you  have  a  Chum,  you  pay  but  15  Pence  per  Week 
each,'  and,  indeed,  that  is  the  Rent  of  the  whole  Room,  if  you 
find  Furniture. 

3  The  Upper  Floors  are  accounted  best;  here,  for  the  same  reason 
as  they  are  at  Edinburgh,  which,  I  suppose,  every  Body  knows. 

4  It  is  common  to  mention  the  Fleet  by  the  Name  of  the  Place, 
and  I  suppose  it  is  call'd  the  Place  by  way  of  Eminence,  because 
there  is  not  such  another. 

20 


290  The  Humours  of  the  Fleet. 

Had  one  poor  Half-penny  but  blest  his  Fob, 

Or,  if  in  Prospect  he  had  seen  a  Job, 

H'had  strain'ed  his  Credit  for  a  Dram  of  Bob, 

But  now,  in  pensive  Mood,  with  Head  down  cast, 

His  Eyes  transfix'd  as  tho'  they  look'd  their  last  ; 

One  Hand  his  open  Bosom  lightly  held, 

And  one  an  empty  Breeches  Pocket  fill'd. 

His  Dowlas  Shirt  no  Stock  or  Cravat  bore, 

And  on  his  Head,  no  Hat  or  Wig  he  wore  ; 

But  a  once  black  shag  Cap,  surcharg'd  with  Sweat ; 

His  Collar,  here  a  Hole,  and  there  a  Pleat; 

Both  grown  alike  in  Colour,  that — alack  ! 

This,  neither  now  was  White,  nor  that  was  Black  ; 

But  match'd  his  dirty  yellow  Beard  so  true, 

They  form'd  a  three-fold  Cast  of  Brick  dust  Hue; 

Meagre  his  Look,  and  in  his  nether  Jaw 

Was  stuff'd  an  elemosynary  Chaw  ;  2 

(Whose  Juice  serves  present  Hunger  to  asswage, 

Which  yet  returns  again  with  tenfold  Rage  ;) 

His  Coat,  which  catch'd  the  Droppings  from  his  Chin, 

Was  clos'd  at  Bottom  with  a  Corking-Pin ; 

His  Breeches  Waistband  a  long  Skewer  made  fast, 

While  he  from  Scotland  Dunghill  3  snatch'd  in  Haste  ; 

His  Shirt-Tail  thin  as  Lawn,  but  not  so  white, 

Barely  conceal'd  his  lank  Affairs  from  Sight  ; 

Loose  were  his  Knee  Bands,  and  unty'd  his  Hose, 

Coax'd4  in  the  Heel,  in  pulling  o'er  his  Toes  ; 

Which  spite  of  all  his  circumspective  Care, 

Did  thro'  his  broken  dirty  Shoes  appear. 


1  A  Cant  Word  for  a  Drain  of  Geneva. 

2  A  Chew  of  Tobacco,  suppos'd  to  be  given  him. 

3  The  Necessary  House,  is  (by  the  Prisoners)  commonly  call'd 
Scotland,  near  which  is  a  dung-hill. 

4  When  there  are  Holes  above  Heel,  or  the  Feet  are  so  bad  in 
a  Stocking,  that  you  are  forced  to  pull  them  to  hide  the  Holes,  or 
cover  the  Toes,  it  is  called  coaxing. 


The  Humours  of  the  Fleet.  291 

"Just  in  this  hapless  Trim  and  pensive  Plight, 
The  old  Collegian1  stood  confess'd  to  Sight; 
Whom,  when  our  new-come  Guest  at  first  beheld, 
He  started  back,  with  great  Amazement  fill'd  ; 
Turns  to  the  Chamberlain,  says,  bless  my  Eyes  !  j 
Is  this  the  Man  you  told  me  was  so  nice  ?  > 

I  meant  his  Room  was  so  Sir,  he  replies ;  J 

The  Man  is  now  in  Dishabille  and  Dirt, 
He  shaves  To-morrow  tho',  and  turns  his  Shirt  ; 
Stand  not  at  Distance,  I'll  present  you,  come 
My  Friend,  how  is't  ?     I've  brought  you  here  a  Chum ; 
One  that's  a  Gentleman ;  a  worthy  Man, 
And  you'll  oblige  me,  serve  him  all  you  can. 

"The  Chums  salute,  the  old  Collegian  first 
Bending  his  Body  almost  to  the  Dust  ; 
Upon  his  Face  unusual  Smiles  appear 
And  long  abandon'd  Hope  his  Spirits  chear 
Thought  he,  Relief's  at  hand,  and  I  shall  eat;       \ 
Will  you  walk  in,  good  Sir,  and  take  a  Seat  ! 
We  have  what's  decent  here,  tho'  not  compleat;  J 
As  for  myself,  I  scandalize  the  Room, 
But  you'll  consider,  Sir,  that  I'm  at  Home  ; 
Tho'  had  I  thought  a  Stranger  to  have  seen, 
I  should  have  ordered  Matters  to've  been  clean; 
But  here,  amongst  ourselves,  we  never  mind, 
Borrow  or.  lend — reciprocally  kind; 
Regard  not  Dress; — tho'  Sir,  I  have  a  Friend 
Has  Shirts  enough,  and,  if  you  please,  I'll  send. 
No  Ceremony,  Sir,  you  give  me  Pain ; 
I  have  a  clean  Shirt,  Sir. — But  have  you  twain  ? 


1  As  the  Prison  is  often  call'd  the  College,  so  it  is  common  to 
call  a  prisoner,  a  Collegian;  and  this  character  is  taken  from  a 
man  who  had  been  many  Years  in  the  Place,  and  like  to  continue 
his  Life;  but  it  is  hard  for  those  who  had  not  seen  him  to  judge 
of  the  Truth  of  the  Draught. 


292  The   Humours  of  the  Fleet. 

O,  yes,  and  twain  to  boot,  and  those  twice  told, 
Besides,  I  thank  my  Stars,  a  Piece  of  Gold. 
Why,  then  I'll  be  so  free,  Sir,  as  to  borrow, 
I  mean  a  Shirt,  Sir, — only  till  To-morrow. 
You're  welcome,  Sir, — I'm  glad  you  are  so  free. 
Then  turns  the  old  Collegian  round  with  Glee  ; 
Whispers  the  Chamberlain  with  secret  Joy, 
We  live  to-night  ! — I'm  sure  he'll  pay  his  Foy  : 
Turns  to  his  Chum  again  with  Eagerness, 
And  thus  bespeaks  him  with  his  best  Address ; 


"  See,  Sir,  how  pleasant,  what  a  Prospect's  there  ; 
Below  you  see  them  sporting  on  the  Bare  ; 
Above,  the  Sun,  Moon,  Star,  engage  the  Eye, 
And  those  Abroad  can't  see  beyond  the  Sky  : 
These  rooms  are  better  far  than  those  beneath, 
A  clearer  Light,  a  sweeter  Air  we  breath ; 
A  decent  Garden  does  our  Window  grace, 
With  Plants  untainted,  undistain'd  the  Glass ; 
And  welcome  Showers  descending  from  above 
In  gentle  Drops  of  Rain,  which  Flowers  love  : 
In  short,  Sir,  nothing  can  be  well  more  sweet  : 
But,  I  forgot — perhaps  you  chuse  to  eat  ; 
Tho',  for  my  part,  I've  nothing  of  my  own, 
To-day  I  scrap'd  my  Yesterday's  Blade  Bone  ; 
But  we  can  send — Ay,  Sir,  with  all  my  Heart, 
(Then  very  opportunely  enters  Swa?-?).1 
O,  here's  our  Cook,  he  dresses  all  Things  well  ; 
Will  you  sup  here,  or  do  you  chuse  the  Cell  ? 
There's  mighty  good  Accommodations  there, 
Rooms  plenty,  or  a  Box  in  Bartholin'  Fair  ; 2 
There,  too,  we  can  divert  you,  and  may  shew 
Some  Characters  are  worth  your  while  to  know, 


1  The  name  of  the  Cook  in  the  Kitchen. 

2  A  place  in  the  Cellar,  called  Bartholo?new  Fair. 


The  Humours  of  the  Fleet.  293 

Replies  the  new  Collegian,  nothing  more 

I  wish  to  see,  be  plcas'd  to  go  before  ; 

And,  Smart,  provide  a  handsome  Dish  for  Four. 

"  Too  generous  Man  !   but  'tis  our  hapless  Fate 

In  all  Conditions,  to  be  wise  too  late ; 

For,  even  in  Prison,  those  who  have  been  free, 

Will  shew,  if  able,  Generosity  ; 

Yet  find,  too  soon,  when  lavish  of  their  Store, 

How  hard,  when  gone,  it  is  to  come  at  more ; 

And  every  Artifice  in  vain  explore. 

Some  Messages  Abroad,  by  Runners  send. 

Some  Letters  write  to  move  an  absent  Friend  ; 

And  by  Submission,  having  begg'd  a  Crown, 

In  one  night's  Revel  here  they'll  kick  it  down.1 

'Tis  true,  this  one  Excuse  they  have  indeed, 

When  others  Cole  it,2  they  as  freely  bleed ;  3 

When  the  Wind's  fair,  and  brings  in  Ships  with  Store  * 

Each  spends  in  turn,  and  trusts  to  Fate  for  more. 
•  ••••• 

"  The  future  Chums  and  Chamberlain  descend 

The  Dirt  5  knot  Stairs,  and  t'wards  the  kitchen  bend  ; 

Which  gain'd,  they  find  a  merry  Company, 

Listening  to  Tales  (from  Smart)  of  Baudry, 

All  introduced  with  awkward  Simile,6 

Whose  Applications  miss  the  Purpose  pat. 

But  in  the  Fire  now  burns  th'  unheeded  Fat, 


1  A  phrase  for  spending  Money  fast. 

2  Cole,  signifies  Money. 

3  Bleed  also  signifies  spending. 

4  When  a  Messenger  or  Friend  brings  Money  from  abroad  to 
the  Prisoners,  it  is  usual  to  say  a  Ship  is  arriv'd. 

s  Some  of  the  Dirt  upon  the  Stairs  is  trod  into  knots  so  hard  it 
is  almost  impossible  to  break  it. 

6  Smart  generally  begins  his  Stories  with  a  That's  like,  Sec,  tho' 
it  is  not  at  all  like  the  Story  he  tells, 


294  The  Humours  of  the  Fleet. 

Whose  sudden  Blaze  brings  L — nd — r  x  roaring  in  ; 
Then  Smart  looks  foolish,  and  forsakes  his  Grin. 
The  laughing  Audience  alter,  too,  their  Tone, 
For  who  can  smile,  that  sees  Tom  L  —  nd — r  frown  ? 
He,  magisterial  rules  the  panic  Cell, 
And  rivals  Belxebub, — in  looking  well  : 
Indignant  now,  he  darts  malicious  Eyes, 
While  each  Dependant  from  the  Kitchen  flies  ; 
Lea\es  Smart  to  combat  with  his  furious  Ire, 
Who  heeds  him  not,  but  strives  to  clear  the  Fire; 
Blowing  and  stirring  still,  no  Pains  he  spares, 
And  mute  remains,  while  Major  Demo  swears  ; 
Who  bellows  loud  Anathemas  on  Smart, 
And  the  last  Curse  he  gives  is  D — n  your  Heart  ; 
His  trembling  Lips  are  pale,  his  Eyeballs  roll  ; 
Till,  spent  with  Rage,  he  quits  him  with  a  Growl. 

"Now,  as  our  new-come  Guest  observ'd  this  Scene, 
(As  odd  an  one,  perhaps,  as  could  be  seen) 
He  first  on  Smart,  next  on  his  Master  gaz'd, 
And  at  the  two  extre'ams  seem'd  much  amaz'd  ; 
Which  Smart  perceiving,  says  in  sober  Mood,  j 
Sir,  I've  a  thousand  Times  his  Fury  stood  ;        V 
But,  yet,  the  Man  tho'  passionate,  is  good  ;        ) 
I  never  speak  when  he  begins  to  bawl, 
For,  should  I  swear  like  him,  the  House  would  fall." 

Here  follow  two  or  three  pages  of  but  little  interest 
to  the  reader  and  the  Story  continues  : 

"  But  I  forgot ; — the  Stranger  and  his  Chum, 
With  t'other  to,  to  BartlMmew  Fair  are  come  ; 
Where,  being  seated,  and  the  Supper  past, 
They  drink  so  deep,  and  put  about  so  fast, 


1  The  Master  of  the  Cellar,  a  Man  of  a  variable  Temper,  very 
passionate,  malicious,  and  ill-natur'd  at  some  times,  at  others  very 
well. 


The  Humours  of  the  Fleet. 

That  'ere  the  warning  Watchman  walks  about, 
With  dismal  Tone  repeating, — Who  goes  out  ?  x 
'Ere  St.  PauPs  Clock  no  longer  will  withold 
From  striking  Ten,  and  the  Voice  cries, — All  told.2 
'Ere  this,  our  new  Companions,  every  one 
In  roaring  Mirth  and  Wine,  so  far  were  gone, 
That  every  Sense  from  ev'ry  Part  was  fled, 
And  were  with  Difficulty  got  to  Bed ; 
Where  in  the  Morn,  recover'd  from  his  Drink, 
The  new  Collegian  may  have  Time  to  think  ; 
And,  recollecting  how  he  spent  the  Night, 
Explore  his  Pockets,  and  not  find  a  Doit. 

"  Too  thoughtless  Man  !   to  lavish  thus  away 
A  Week's  Support  in  less  than  half  a  Day ; 
But  'tis  a  Curse  attends  this  wretched  Place, 
To  pay  for  dear  bought  Wit  in  little  Space  : 
The  Time  shall  come,  when  this  new  Tenant  here, 
Will  in  his  Turn  sbule  for  a  Pot  of  Beer  ; 
Repent  the  melting  of  his  Cash  too  fast, 
And  snap  at  Strangers  for  a  Nights  Repast." 


295 


1  Who  goes  out?  is  repeated  by  Watchmen  Prisoners,  from  half 
an  Hour  after  Nine,  till  St.  Paul's  Clock  strikes  Ten,  to  give 
Visitors  Notice  to  depart. 

2  While  St.  Paul's  Clock  is  striking  Ten,  the  Watchmen  don't 
call  Who  goes  out?  but  when  the  last  Stroke  is  given,  they  cry  All 
told!  at  which  Time  the  Gates  are  lock'd,  and  nobody  sufFcr'd  to 
go  out  upon  any  Account. 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 

WE  saw  in  the  lines,  under  the  Frontispiece  to  the 
foregoing  poem,  Garnish  was  mentioned,  and 
the  fact  was  stated  as  a  Custom  then  in  force 
of  taking  the  prisoner's  coat  to   pay   for   his  fees  on 
entrance. 

"  But  kind  Sir,  as  you'r  a  Stranger, 
Down  your  Garnish  you  must  lay, 
Or  your  Coat  will  be  in  danger, 
You  must  either  Strip  or  pay." 

In  the  Criminal  prisons,  the  prisoners  themselves 
demanded  Garnish  from  a  new-comer,  that  is,  a  trifle 
of  money — to  drink.  In  1708,  at  Newgate,  this  sum 
seems  to  have  been  Six  shillings  and  Eightpence 
"  Which  they,  from  an  old  Custom,  claim  by  Prescrip- 
tion, Time  out  of  Mind,  for  entring  into  the  Society , 
otherwise  they  strip  the  poor  Wretch,  if  he  has  not 
wherewithal  to  pay  it."  I  And  in  the  old  Play  of  the 
Lying  Lover  we  are  introduced  to  a  Scene  in  Newgate 
where  the  prisoners  are  demanding  Garnish  from  some 
new-comers. 

1  "  Memoirs  of  the  Right  Villanous  John  Hall,"  &c. 


298 


Garnish, 


"  Storm.     Nay,  nay,  you  must  stay  here. 

Simon.     Why,  I  am  Simon,  Madam  Penelope's  Man. 

Storm.  Then  Madam  Penelope 's  Man  must  strip  for  Garnish  ; 
indeed  Master  Simon  you  must. 

Simon.     Thieves  !   Thieves  !   Thieves  ! 

Storm.  Thieves  !  Thieves  !  Why,  you  senseless  Dog,  do 
you  think  there's  Thieves  in  Newgate  P  Away  with 
him  to  the  Tap  House  {Pushes  hitnojf).  We'll  drink 
his  Coat  off.  Come,  my  little  Chymist,  thou  shalt 
transmute  this  Jacket  into  Liquor." 

Yet  although  this  custom  was  general,  I  have  only 
once  met  with  an  engraving  of  the  actual  process,  which, 
judging  by  the  man's  agonized  countenance,  was  not  a 


Garnish.  299 

pleasant  one  to  him.  It  occurs  in  the  frontispiece  to  a 
little  pamphlet  called  "An  Oration  on  the  Oppression 
of  Jailors ;  which  was  spoken  in  the  Fleet  Prison,  on 
the  20th  of  February,  173?,"  &c.  And  under  the 
engraving,  are  these  lines. 

"  Unhappy,  friendless  Man  !  how  hard  thy  Fate  ! 
Whose  only  Crime  is  being  Unfortunate. 
Are  Jailors  suffer'd  in  such  Acts  as  these  ? 
To  strip  the  Wretch,  who  cannot  pay  his  Fees  ? 
Is  there  no  kind  Samaritan  will  lend 
Relief,  and  save  him  from  th'  accursed  Fiend  ?" 

Respecting  this  practice  let  us  hear  what  Howard  in 
his  "State  of  the  Prisons  in  England  and  Wales,"  1777, 
says,  in  his  Chapter  on  <c  Bad  Customs  in  Prisons." 
"  A  cruel  custom  obtains  in  most  of  our  Goals,  which 
is  that  of  the  prisoners  demanding  of  a  new  comer 
Garnish,  Footing,  or  (as  it  is  called  in  some  London 
Gaols)  Chummage.  'Pay  or  strip'  are  the  fatal  words. 
I  say  fatal)  for  they  are  so  to  some ;  who  having  no 
money,  are  obliged  to  give  up  part  of  their  scanty 
apparel ;  and,  if  they  have  no  bedding  or  straw  to  sleep 
on,  contract  diseases,  which  I  have  known  to  prove 
mortal. 

In  many  Gaols,  to  the  Garnish  paid  by  the  new- 
comer, those  who  were  there  before,  make  an  addition ; 
and  great  part  of  the  following  night  is  often  spent  in 
riot  and  drunkenness.  The  gaoler  or  tapster  finding 
his  account  in  this  practice,  generally  answers  questions 
concerning  it  with  reluctance.  Of  the  Garnish  which  I 
have  set  down  to  sundry  prisons,  I  often  had  my  infor- 
mation from  persons  who  paid  it.   .   .  .  In  some  places, 


300 


The  "Co 


MMON 


Sid 


e. 


this  demand  has  been  lately  waved  :  in  others,  strictly 
prohibited  by  the  Magistrates  " — so  that  we  see  that 
this  custom  was  already  in  its  death  throes,  in  the  last 
quarter  of  the  eighteenth  century. 

But  in  the  interval  between  Bambridge  and  Howard, 
the  prison  was  not  a  pleasant  place  of  residence,  if  we 
may  judge  from  "  The  Prisoner's  Song  "  published  in 
1738,  of  which  I  give  an  illustration  and  the  Words. 


THE    FLEET    PRISON. 


A  Starving  life  all  day  we  lead, 

No  Comfort  here  is  found, 
At  Night  we  make  one  Common  bed, 

Upon  the  Boarded  Ground  ; 
Where  fleas  in  troops  and  Bugs  in  shoals 

Into  our  Bosoms  Creep, 
And  Death  watch,  Spiders,  round  ye  Walls, 

Disturb  us  in  our  Sleep. 


Howard's  Report.  301 

Were  Socrates  alive,  and  Bound 

With  us  to  lead  his  life, 
'Twould  move  his  Patience  far  beyond 

His  crabbed  Scolding  Wife  ; 
Hard  Lodging  and  much  harder  fare, 

Would  try  the  wisest  Sage, 
Nay  !  even  make  a  Parson  Swear, 

And  curse  the  Sinful  Age. 

Thus,  we  Insolvent  debtors  live, 

Yet  we  may  Boldly  say, 
Worse  Villains  often  Credit  give, 

Than  those  that  never  pay  ; 
For  wealthy  Knaves  can  with  applause 

Cheat  on,  and  ne'er  be  try'd, 
But  in  contempt  of  human  Laws, 

In  Coaches  Safely  ride." 

When  Howard  visited  this  prison  in  1774  and  1776, 
he  found  on  the  former  occasion  171  prisoners  in  the 
House,  and  71  in  the  Rules.  On  the  latter  there 
were  241  in  the  House  and   78  in  the  Rules.     And  he 

says  : 

<f  The  Prison  was  rebuilt  a  few  years  since.  At  the  front 
is  a  narrow  courtyard.  At  each  end  of  the  building  there 
is  a  small  projection,  or  wing.  There  are  four  floors, 
they  call  them  Galleries,  besides  the  Cellar  floor,  called 
Bartholomew-Fair.  Each  gallery  consists  of  a  passage 
in  the  middle,  the  whole  length  of  the  Prison,  i.e.,  sixty 
six  yards  ;  and  rooms  on  each  side  of  it  about  fourteen 
feet  and  a  half  by  twelve  and  a  half,  and  nine  and  a  half 
high.  A  chimney  and  window  in  every  room.  The 
passages  are  narrow  (not  seven  feet  wide)  and  darkish, 
having  only  a  window  at  each  end. 


302  Howard's  Report. 

"  On  the  first  floor,  the  Hall  Gallery,  to  which  you 
ascend  eight  steps,  are  a  Chapel,  a  Tap  room,  a  Coffee 
room  (lately  made  out  of  two  rooms  for  Debtors),  a 
room  for  the  Turnkey,  another  for  the  Watchman,  and 
eighteen  rooms  for  Prisoners. 

Besides  the  Coffee-room  and  Tap-room,  two  of  those 
eighteen  rooms,  and  all  the  cellar  floor,  except  a  lock  up 
room  to  confine  the  disorderly,  and  another  room  for 
the  Turnkey,  are  held  by  the  Tapster,  John  Cartwright, 
who  bought  the  remainder  of  the  lease  at  public  auction 
in  1775.  The  cellar  floor  is  sixteen  steps  below  the 
hall  Gallery.  It  consists  of  the  two  rooms  just  now 
mentioned,  the  Tapster's  kitchen,  his  four  large  beer 
and  wine  Cellars,  and  fifteen  rooms  for  Prisoners. 
These  fifteen,  and  the  two  before  mentioned,  in  the  hall 
gallery,  the  Tapster  lets  to  Prisoners  for  four  to  eight 
shillings  a  week. 

"On  the  first  Gallery  (that  next  above  the  hall-gallery) 
are  twenty- five  rooms  for  Prisoners.  On  the  second 
Gallery,  twenty  seven  rooms.  One  of  them,  fronting 
the  staircase,  is  their  Committee  room.  A  room  at  one 
end  is  an  Infirmary.  At  the  other  end,  in  a  large  room 
over  the  Chapel,  is  a  dirty  Billiard-table,  kept  by  the 
Prisoner  who  sleeps  in  that  room.  On  the  highest  story 
there  are  twenty  seven  rooms.  Some  of  these  upper 
rooms,  viz.,  those  in  the  wings,  are  larger  than  the  rest, 
being  over  the  Chapel,  the  Tap-room,  &c. 

u  All  the  rooms  I  have  mentioned  are  for  the 
Master's  side  Debtors.  The  weekly  rent  of  those  not 
held  by  the  Tapster,  is  one  shilling  and  three  pence  un- 
furnished.    They  fall  to    the  Prisoners  in  succession, 


Howard's  Report.  303 

thus :  when  a  room  becomes  vacant,  the  first  Prisoner 
upon  the  list  of  such  as  have  paid  their  entrance-fees, 
takes  possession  of  it.  When  the  Prison  was  built,  the 
Warden  gave  each  Prisoner  his  choice  of  a  room, 
according  to  his  seniority  as  Prisoner.  .  .  .  Such  of  the 
Prisoners  (on  the  Common  Side)  as  swear  in  Court,  or 
before  a  Commissioner  that  they  are  not  worth  five 
pounds,  and  cannot  subsist  without  charity,  have  the 
donations  which  are  sent  to  the  Prison,  and  the  begging 
box,  and  grate.  Of  them  there  were,  at  my  last  visit, 
sixteen.  .  .  . 

"  I  mentioned  the  billiard  table.  They  also  play  in 
the  yard  at  skittles,  missisipi,  fives,  tennis,  &c.  And 
not  only  the  Prisoners ;  I  saw  among  them  several 
butchers  and  others  from  the  Market ;  who  are  admitted 
here,  as  at  another  public  house.  The  same  may  be 
seen  in  many  other  Prisons  where  the  Gaoler  keeps  or 
lets  the  tap.  Besides  the  inconvenience  of  this  to 
Prisoners ;  the  frequenting  a  Prison  lessens  the  dread  of 
being  confined  in  one. 

"  On  Monday  night  there  is  a  Wine  Club  :  on 
Thursday  night  a  Beer  Club  ;  each  lasting  usually  till 
one  or  two  in  the  morning.  I  need  not  say  how  much 
riot  these  occasion ;  and  how  the  sober  Prisoners  are 
annoyed  by  them. 

"  Seeing  the  Prison  crowded  with  women  and  Chil- 
dren, I  procured  an  accurate  list  of  them  ;  and  found  that 
on  (or  about),  the  6th  of  April,  1776,  when  there  were, 
on  the  Master's  side  213  Prisoners;  on  the  Common 
side  30.  Total  243  ;  their  wives  (including  women  of  an 
appellation  not  so  honorable)  and  children,  were  475/' 


304  Regulations  of  the  Prison. 

In  Howard's  time  the  fees  payable  by  the  Prisoners 
were  the  same  as  were  settled  in  1729  after  the  trials  of 
Huggins  and  Bambridge ;  but  the  prisoners  exercised  a 
kind  of  local  self-government,  for  he  writes  : — 

"  There  is,  moreover,  a  little  Code  of  Laws,  eighteen 
in  number,  enacted  by  the  Master's -side  Debtors,  and 
printed  by  D.  Jones,  1774.  It  establishes  a  President, 
a  Secretary,  and  a  Committee,  which  is  to  be  chosen 
every  month,  and  to  consist  of  three  members  from  each 
Gallery.  These  are  to  meet  in  the  Committee  room 
every  Thursday ;  and  at  other  times  when  summoned 
by  the  Cryer,  at  command  of  the  President,  or  of  a 
majority  of  their  own  number.  They  are  to  raise  con- 
tributions by  assessment;  to  hear  complaints;  determine 
disputes;  levy  fines;  and  seize  goods  for  payment.  Their 
Sense  to  be  deemed  the  sense  of  the  whole  House.  The 
President  or  Secretary  to  hold  the  cash ;  the  Committee 
to  dispose  of  it.  Their  Scavenger  to  wash  the  Galleries 
once  a  week ;  to  water,  and  sweep  them  every  morning 
before  eight ;  to  sweep  the  yard  twice  every  week ;  and 
to  light  the  lamps  all  over  the  House.  No  person  to 
throw  out  water,  &c,  anywhere  but  at  the  sinks  in  the 
yard.  The  Cryer  may  take  of  a  Stranger  a  penny  for 
calling  a  Prisoner  to  him ;  and  of  a  Complainant  two 
pence  for  summoning  a  Special  Committee.  For  blas- 
phemy, swearing,  riot,  drunkenness,  &c,  the  Committee 
to  fine  at  discretion  ;  for  damaging  a  lamp,  fine  a  shilling. 
They  are  to  take  from  a  New  Comer,  on  the  first  Sun- 
day, besides  the  two  shillings  Garnish,  to  be  spent  in 
wine,  one  shilling  and  sixpence  to  be  appropriated  to 
the  use  of  the  House. 


Gordon  Riots.  305 

"  Common-side  Prisoners  to  be  confined  to  their  own 
apartments,  and  not  to  associate  with  these  Law- 
makers, nor  to  use  the  same  conveniences." 

In  1780  the  famous  Lord  George  Gordon,  or  "No 
Popery  "  Riots  took  place — those  Riots  which  were  so 
intensely  Protestant,  that  (according  to  the  Contem- 
porary Gentleman's  Magazine)  "  The  very  Jews  in 
Houndsditch  and  Duke's  Place  were  so  intimidated, 
that  they  followed  the  general  example,  and  uninten- 
tionally gave  an  air  of  ridicule  to  what  they  understood 
in  a  very  serious  light,  by  writing  on  their  Shutters, 
"This  House  is  a  true  Protestant." 

These  Riots  are  very  realistically  brought  before  us 
in  Charles  Dickens'  c<  Barnaby  Rudge,"  but  then, 
although  the  account  is  fairly  historically  faithful,  yet 
the  weaving  of  his  tale  necessarily  interfered  writh  strict 
historical  details  ;  which,  by  the  way,  are  extremely 
meagre  as  to  the  burning  of  the  Fleet  prison.  The  fact 
was,  that,  for  the  few  days  the  riot  existed,  the  outrages 
were  so  numerous,  and  the  Newspapers  of  such  small 
dimensions,  that  they  could  only  be  summarized,  and 
the  burning  of  Newgate  eclipsed  that  of  the  Fleet.  But, 
on  the  Wednesday,  June  7,  1780,  the  Annual  Register, 
p.  261  (which  certainly  has  the  best  description  I  have 
been  able  to  see)  absolutely  breaks  down,  saying  : — 

"  It  is  impossible  to  give  any  adequate  description  of 
the  events  of  Wednesday.  Notice  was  sent  round  to  the 
public  prisons  of  the  King's  Bench,  Fleet,  &c,  by  the 
mob,  at  what  time  they  would  come  and  burn  them 
down.     The  same  kind  of  infernal  humanity  was  exer- 

21 


306  Burning  of  the  Fleet  Prison. 

cised  towards  Mr.  Langdale,  a  distiller  in  Holborn, 
whose  loss  is  said  to  amount  to  ^100,000,  and  several 
other  Romish  individuals.  In  the  afternoon  all  the 
shops  were  shut,  and  bits  of  blue  silk,  by  way  of  flags, 
hung  out  at  most  houses,  with  the  words  "  No  Popery  " 
chalked  on  the  doors  and  window  shutters,  by  way  of 
deprecating  the  fury  of  the  insurgents,  from  which  no 
person  thought  himself  secure. 

"  As  soon  as  the  day  was  drawing  towards  a  Close, 
one  of  the  most  dreadful  spectacles  this  country  ever 
beheld  was  exhibited.  Let  those,  who  were  not  spec- 
tators of  it,  judge  what  the  inhabitants  felt  when  they 
beheld  at  the  same  instant  the  flames  ascending  and 
rolling  in  clouds  from  the  King's  Bench  and  Fleet 
Prisons,  from  New  Bridewell,  from  the  toll  gates  on 
Blackfriars  Bridge,  from  houses  in  every  quarter  of  the 
town,  and  particularly  from  the  bottom  and  middle  of 
Holborn,  where  the  Conflagration  was  horrible  beyond 
description." 

The  burning  of  the  Fleet  was  done  calmly  and 
deliberately,  as  is  well  told  in  "  A  Narrative  of  the 
Proceedings  of  Lord  Geo.  Gordon,"  &c,  1 7  80.  "  About 
one  o'clock  this  morning  (Tuesday,  June  6),  the  Mob 
went  to  the  Fleet  Prison,  and  demanded  the  gates  to  be 
opened,  which  the  Keepers  were  obliged  to  do,  or  they 
would  have  set  fire  to  it.  They  were  then  proceeding  to 
demolish  the  prison,  but  the  prisoners  expostulating  with 
them,  and  begging  that  they  would  give  them  time  to 
remove  their  goods,  they  readily  condescended,  and  gave 
them  a  day  for  that  purpose,  in  consequence  of  which, 
the  prisoners  were  removing  all  this  day  out  of  that 


Fleet  Prison  Re-built. 


307 


place.  Some  of  the  prisoners  were  in  for  life."  And  in 
the  evening  of  the  next  day,  they  fulfilled  their  threat, 
and  burnt  it.  This  was  the  second  time  it  had  been 
burnt  down,  for  the  great  fire  of  1666  had  previously 
demolished  it. 

It  was  rebuilt,  and  remained  the  same,  with  some  few 
alterations  and  additions  until  its  final  destruction.  We 
get  a  good  view  "  the  Bare  "  or  racket  ground  in  1808, 
an  outline  of  which  I  have  taken  from  Pugin  and  Row- 
landson's    beautiful  "Microcosm  of  London,"   1808,1 


RACKETS    IN   THE    FLEET    PRISON,    I760. 

{Published  by  Bowles  and  Caiver,  69,  St.  Pa  id's  Churchyard.) 

according  to  which  book,  "  The  Fleet  Prison,  it  is 
believed,  after  the  fire  of  London  in  1666,  was  removed 
to  that  site  of  ground  upon  which  the  almshouses 
through  Vauxhall  turnpike,  on  the  Wandsworth  road, 
now  stand,  until  the  old  prison  was  rebuilt,  Sir  Jeremy 
1  See  next  page. 


308  The  "Bare." 

Whichcott,  then  Warden,  having  his  family  seat  there, 


which  he  converted  into  a  prison ;  for  which  patriotic 
act,  and  rebuilding  the  old  one  at  his  own  expence,  he 


Racket  Master.  309 

and  his  heirs  were  wardens  as  long  as  they  lived.  The 
Office  of  Warden  of  the  Fleet  was  formerly  of  such 
consequence,  that  a  brother  of  one  of  the  Edwards  is 
said  to  have  been  in  the  list  of  Wardens.'' 

In  this  illustration  we  find  the  prisoners  by  no  means 
moody,    but   playing    at    rackets    and    skittles.     The 
Racket    ground   was  under    the    superintendence    of  a 
Racket   Master,   who  was  elected   by  the   Collegians, 
annually  at  Christmas.     This  post  was  eagerly  sought 
after,  as  it  was  one  to  which  some  pecuniary  profit  was 
attached,  a  small  fee  being  demanded  from  each  person, 
the  Racket  Master  having  to  find  bats  and  balls.     I 
have  before  me  three  printed  handbills  of  aspirants  for 
the  post  in  1841.     One  bases  his  claim  on  the  fact  that 
he  is  already  Racket  Master,  and  says,  "I  feel  the  situa- 
tion is  one  that  requires  attention  and  unceasing  exertion, 
not  so  much   from  the  individual  position,  as  from  the 
circumstance  that  the  amusement,  and  (what  is  more 
vitally  important)  the  health  of  my  fellow  inmates  is 
in  some    measure  placed  in  the  hands  of  the    person 
appointed."     Another  candidate  pleads  as  a  qualification, 
that  he  has  served  as  Watchman  for  Seven  years,  and  at 
last  election  for  Racket  Master,  he  only  lost  the  appoint- 
ment by  five  votes.    And  the  third  publishes  the  caution 
"  Collegians,  Remember  !     All  Promises  that  have  been 
(sic)   before    the    Vacancy,  are    Null    and    Void  !  !  ! " 
This  gentleman  was  determined  to  secure,  if  possible, 
some  of  the  good  things  going  about,  for,  at  this  very 
same    Annual    Election,    he    issues    another    circular, 
"  Having    had   many   years  experience  in  the  Tavern 
Department  and  Eating  House  Business,  I  beg  leave  to 


3IQ 


A  Whistling  Shop. 


offer  myself  for  the  Situation  in  the  Public  Kitchen,  now 
about  to  become  vacant."  He,  too,  had  an  opponent, 
who  had  been  engaged  for  nine  years  as  a  baker,  and 
was,  by  profession,  a  Cook.  The  Office  of  Skittle 
Master  was  also  contested  in  that  year ;  the  holder  of 
the  place  being  opposed  by  one  whose  claim  to  the 
position  seems  to  be  that  he  had  a  wife  and  one 
child. 

They  made  themselves  merry  enough  in  the  Fleet, 


A  WHISTLING   SHOP   IN   THE   FLEET,    1821. 

as  we  read  in  Egan's  "  Life  in  London,"  where  Jerry 
Hawthorn,  and  Corinthian  Tom,  visit  Bob  Logic,  who 
was  detained  in  the  Fleet.     Among  other  places  there, 


A  Whistling  Shop. 


3ii 


they  went  to  a  Whistling  Shop — of  which  the  brothers 
Robert  and  George  Cruikshank  have  given  a  faithful 
representation.  Here  at  a  table,  screened  off  from  the 
draught  of  the  door  we  see/  Tom,  Jerry,  and  the 
unfortunate  Logic,  whilst  the  other  frequenters  of  the 
place  are  excellently  depicted.  Spirits  were  not  allowed 
in  the  prison,  under  any  circumstances,  other  than  by 


the  doctor's  order ;  but  it  is  needless  to  say,  the  regu- 
lation was  a  dead  letter.  Of  course  it  was  not  sold 
openly,  but  there  were  rooms,  known  to  the  initiated 
where  it  could  be  procured.  It  was  never  asked  for, 
and  if  it  were  the  applicant  would  not  have  received  it, 

1  See  next  page. 


312  "  Dum  Vivimus,  Vivamus.'; 

but    .if    you    whistled,    it   would    be    at    once    forth- 
coming. 

Says  Logic  to  his  Corinthian  friends,  "  '  In  the 
evening  I  will  introduce  you  both  to  my  friend  the 
Haberdasher.  He  is  a  good  whistler;  and  his  shop 
always  abounds  with  some  prime  articles  which  you 
will  like  to  look  at/  The  Trio  was  again  complete ; 
and  a  fine  dinner,  which  the  Corinthian  had  pre- 
viously ordered  from  a  Coffee  house,  improved  their 
feelings :  a  glass  or  two  of  wine  made  them  as  gay  as 
larks ;  and  a  hint  from  Jerry  to  Logic  about  the 
Whistler,  brought  them  into  the  shop  of  the  latter  in 
a  twinkling.      Hawthorn,   with  great  surprise,  said, 

4  Where  are  we  ?  this  is  no  haberdasher's.     It  is  a— ' 

c  No  nosing,  Jerry,'  replied  Logic,  with  a  grin.    '  You 
are  wrong.     The  man  is  a  dealer  in  tape!  "  I 

There  was  a  class  in  the  Fleet,  who  acted,  as  far  as  in 
their  power  lay,  up  to  the  Epicurean  "  dum  vivimus 
vivamus"  and  among  them  the  prison,  however  incon- 
venient it  might  have  been,  was  made  the  best  of,  and 
the  door  of  the  Cupboard  which  contained  the  skeleton 
was  shut  as  far  as  it  would  go.  We  have  an  exempli- 
fication of  this  in  Robert  Cruikshank's  water  colour 
drawing  of  "  The  Evening  after  a  Mock  Election  in 
the  Fleet  Prison,"  June,  1835.  ^n  tms  drawing,  which 
I  have  simply  outlined  (see  previous  page),  we  get  a  graphic 
glimpse  at  the  uproarious  fun  that  obtained  among  a  cer- 
tain set.  The  gradations  in  Society  of  this  singular 
mixture  is  well  shown  in  the  following  key  to  the 
picture : 

1  A  cant  word  for  gin. 


3H 


Number  of  Prisoners. 


3- 


Bennett  the  Candidate. 
Mr.  Fellowes  of  the  Crown 

P.  H.  Fleet  Street. 
Mr.  Houston,  alias  Jack  in 

the  Green. 

4.  Mr.  Perkins,  alias  Harlequin 

Billy  (Architect),  who  tried 
to  sink  a  shaft  at  Spithead  to 
supply  the  Navy  with  Water. 

5.  Mr.      Shackleford      (Linen 

Draper). 

6.  Mr.  Bennett,  the  Watchman. 

7.  Geo.  Weston,  Esqr.  (Banker, 

of  the  Boro'). 

8.  Mr.     Hutchinson     (Dr.    at 

Liverpool). 

L.  Goldsmith,  Esqre. 

Mr.  Thompson  (Irishman). 

Robert  Barnjum  alias  Rough 
Robin  (Hammersmith 
Ghost). 
12.  Robert  Ball,  alias  Manches- 
ter Bob  (wore  a  Mur- 
derer's Cap). 


9- 
10. 

11. 


13.  Captain  Wilde,  R.N. 

14.  Mr.  Hales,  the  Cook. 

15.  Mr.  Walker. 

16.  Captain     McDonnough, 

nth  Hussars  (real  gentle- 
man). 

17.  Mr.    Halliday   (Manchester 

Merchant). 

18.  Harry      Holt      the      Prize 

Fighter. 

19.  Captain  Penniment  (Trad- 

ing Vessel,  Yorkshire). 

20.  Mr.  Palmer,  Cutler  to  Geo. 

III.,   near  the   Haymarket 
Theatre. 

21.  Mr.  Scrivener  (Landlord  of 

the  Tap). 

22.  Captain     Oliver,    Smuggler 

and    Tapster.     Capias, 
£117,000. 

23.  Mr.   Goldsbury,  alias  Jails- 

bury,  driver  of  omnibus  all 
round  the  Fleet. 

24.  Mr.  George  Kent. 


As  a  souvenir  of  the  talented  Isaac  Robert  Cruik- 
shank,  I  append  a  facsimile  of  his  autograph,  which 
was  written  in  the  Parlour,  No.  16,  Hall,  in  the  Fleet 
Prison,  June  24,  1842.  His  method  of  utilizing  the 
blot  of  Ink  is  unique. 

The  remaining  Notices  of  the  Fleet  must  be  taken 
as  they  come,  as  far  as  possible,  chronologically — and 
first  of  all  let  us  look  at  the  enormous  quantity  of  people 
who  were  imprisoned  for  debt.  In  the  Mirror,  No. 
615,  vol.  xxii.  July  20,  1833,  is  a  cutting  from  the 
'Times  :    ('By    the    return    of  persons    imprisoned    for 


316  Destitution. 

debt  in  1832,  in  England  and  Wales,  just  printed  by 
order  of  the  House  of  Commons,  it  appears  that  the 
gross  number  was  1 6,470 :  of  whom  maintained  them- 
selves 4,093,  so  that  three  fourths  of  the  whole  were 
too  poor  to  provide  themselves  with  bread. " 

The  terrible  destitution  to  which  some  prisoners 
were  reduced  is  shown  in  an  extract  from  the  Morning 
Herald  of  August  12,   1833. 

"  Guild  hall.  A  Gentleman  complained  that  the 
Overseers  of  St.  Bride's  had  refused  to  relieve  a  dis- 
tressed prisoner  in  the  Fleet.  The  Prisoner  was  Mr. 
Timothy  Sheldvake,  who  had  been  well  known  for  his 
skill  in  treating  deformities  of  the  body.  He  once  kept 
his  carriage,  and  obtained ^4,000  a  year  by  his  practice, 
but  he  was  now  quite  destitute.  He  was  eighty  years 
of  Age,  and  of  that  temper  that  he  would  rather  starve 
than  make  a  complaint.  When  applicant  saw  him  he 
had  actually  fasted  forty -eight  hours.  St.  Bride's  Parish 
had  assisted  the  unfortunate  Gentleman,  but  they  denied 
that  he  was  legally  entitled  to  such  relief.  The  Applicant 
contended  that,  as  the  Prison  was  in  St.  Bride's  parish, 
and  was  rated  at  ^70  a  year,  St.  Bride's  was  bound  to 
afford  casual  relief  to  those  within  the  walls  of  the 
prison,  and  to  recover  it  from  the  respective  parishes  to 
which  those  who  have  been  relieved  belonged. 

"The  Vestry  Clerk  said,  relief  must  be  given  out  of 
the  County  rate. 

"  Sir  C.  Marshall  said  he  would  take  time  to  consider 
the  Point,  but  he  thought  a  sufficient  relief  should  be 
afforded  out  of  the  County  rate." 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

TN  a  Return  of  the  number  of  persons  in  the  several 
Gaols  of  England,  confined  for  Debt,  ordered  by 
the  House  of  Commons  to  be  printed,  May  13,  1835, 
we  have  an  "Account  of  the  Number  of  Persons 
confined  for  Debt  in  the  Fleet  Prison  during  the 
following  Years : 

1830  1831  1832  1833  1834 
Number  confined  742     700     884     746     769 

Number  charged  in  Execution  105      136     134     126      156 

And  the  amount  of  the  debt  and  costs  for  which  each 
party  was  so  charged  varied  from  £2  to  ^18,017. 

I  look  in  vain  in  the  'Times  for  the  paragraph  to 
which  the  Warden  alludes  in  the  following  letter  : 

"  The  Warden  presents  his  compliments  to  the  Editor 
of  the  Times,  and  begs  to  state,  that  a  paragraph  having 
appeared  in  the  paper  of  this  morning,  stating  that  the 


3 ! 8  Escape  of  Prisoner. 

Fleet  Prison  is  very  full,  and  that  a  guinea  and  a  half 
a  week  is  paid  for  a  single  room,  and  that  four,  five, 
and  six  persons  are  obliged  to  live  in  a  small  apartment. 

"  The  Warden,  not  being  aware  of  this,  should  it  in 
any  case  exist,  and  which  is  contrary  to  the  established 
regulations  against  any  person  so  offending,  the  prison 
not  being  so  full  as  in  former  years,  there  being  con- 
siderably less,  on  an  average,  than  two  prisoners  to  each 
Room,  and  being  also  exceedingly  healthy. 

"The  Warden  has  also  to  add,  that  the  rest  of  the 
paragraph  relating  to  the  Fleet  is  totally  without 
foundation. 

"Fleet  Prison,  March  7,  1836." 

In  the  outside  sheet  of  the  Times ,  February  21, 
1838,  occurs  the  following  advertisement:  "One 
Hundred  Pounds  Reward.  —  Escape.  —  Escaped 
from  the  Fleet  Prison,  on  the  evening  of  Wednesday 
the  14th  day  of  February  instant.  Alfred  Morris, 
late  of  22  Dean  Street,  Tooley  Street,  Southwark. 
The  said  Alfred  Morris  is  about  30  years  of  Age, 
about  5  feet  6  inches  high,  dark  complexion,  and  of  a 
Jewish  Caste,  prominent  Nose,  somewhat  flat  pointed, 
dark,  irregular  whiskers,  stout  figure,  and  rather  bow 
legged,"  &c,  &c. 

Anent  this  escape,  the  Times  of  February  1 6th  has  a 
paragraph  such  as  we  can  hardly  imagine  ever  could 
have  appeared  in  a  paper  so  steady  and  sober,  as  the 
Times  now  is:  "The  Warden  of  the  Fleet — 
(From  a  Correspondent).  Yesterday  a  gentleman  of 
some  misfortune  and  of  great  appearance,  for  he  wore 


Escape  of  Prisoner.  319 

a  wig,  moustaches,  and  a  Spanish  Cloak,  was  introduced 
as  an  inmate  of  Brown's  Hotel,  so  called  from  the 
Warden  having  a  license  to  sell  wines,  beer,  and  ale  to 
his  prisoners,  through  the  '  patent  never  ending  always 
improving  Juddery  spigot  and  fawcet  tap/  &c.  In 
about  half  an  hour  the  said  bewhiskered  gentleman 
leaves  cloak,  wig,  and  moustaches  in  the  room  of  a 
Mishter  Abrahams,  a  prisoner,  and  walks  quietly  out, 
very  politely  bidding  the  turnkey  'good  morning.'  At 
night  the  excellent  crier  of  the  Prison,  Mr.  Ellis,  made 
the  galleries  echo,  and  the  rooms  re-echo,  with  his 
sometimes  very  cheering  voice  (when  he  announces  to 
those  who  wish  such  things  as  a  discharge,  for  it  is  not 
all  who  do),  in  calling,  altissimo  voce,  '  Mr.  Alfred 
Morrison  !  Mr.  Alfred  Morrison  !  Mr.  Alfred  Morri- 
son ! '  but  as  no  Mr.  Alfred  Morrison  answered  to  the 
interesting  call,  every  room  was  searched  in  the  due 
performance  of  the  crier's  duty,  but  no  Mr.  Alfred 
Morrison  was  to  be  found.  And  the  Worthy  and 
excellent  warder,  the  keeper  of  so  many  others  in,  is 
himself  let  in  to  the  tune  of  ^2,600 ;  some  say  more, 
none  say  less. 

'  Go  it,  ye  cripples  !  crutches  are  cheap  ! 
W.  Brown  is  no  longer  asleep  !  ' " 

In  a  leading  article  in  the  'Times  of  November  13, 
1838,  upon  juvenile  crime,  and  the  incitors  thereto, 
we  read  the  following :  "  The  Traders  in  crime  do  not 
wholly  confine  their  seductions  to  the  young ;  they 
often  find  apt  scholars  among  the  unfortunates  of  riper 


320  A  Gang  of  Forgers. 

years,  especially  in  the  debtor's  prison.  Mr.  Wakefield1 
says  he  knows  many  such  victims ;  and  he  particu- 
larizes one  *  Who  was  not  indeed  executed,  because  he 
took  poison  the  night  before  he  was  to  have  been 
executed,  who  told  me  he  had  been,  (and  who  I  firmly 
believe  was)  first  incited  to  crime  when  a  Prisoner  in 
the  Fleet  for  debt.  The  crime  into  which  he  was  seduced 
was  that  of  passing  forged  Bank  of  England  Notes.  He 
was  a  Man  of  very  showy  appearance,  and  he  had  been 
a  Captain  in  the  Army ;  a  man  of  good  family.  He 
said  this  crime  was  first  suggested  to  him  by  persons 
who  were  Prisoners  in  the  Fleet ;  but  he  afterwards 
discovered,  having  been  a  Prisoner  there  more  than 
once,  that  one  of  a  gang  of  Utterers  of  forged  Notes 
lived  constantly  in  the  Fleet,  and  for  no  other  purpose 
but  that  of  inducing  reckless  young  men  of  good 
appearance,  who  could  easily  pass  notes,  to  take  Notes 
from  them,  and  to  dispose  of  them  in  transactions.  I 
could  hardly  believe  that  that  was  true,  and  I  got  some 
inquiries  to  be  made  for  the  person  whom  he  had 
pointed  out  to  me  as  one  of  a  Gang,  and  I  found  that 
that  person  was  constantly  in  the  Fleet.  The  Gang 
committed  a  robbery  upon  a  Bank  in  Cornwall,  and 
they  were  entirely  broken  up,  and  from  that  time  forth 
the  Person  who  had  resided  in  the  Fleet  disappeared, 
though  he  was  not  one  of  the  persons  convicted,  or 
suspected  of  that  particular  Crime.  I  never  heard  of 
him  since,  but  the  inquiries  which  I  then  made,  con- 
vinced me  that  it  was  a  fact  that  one  of  the  Gang  of 

1  Evidence  of  Mr.  Wakefield  before  Parliamentary  Committee 
of  1837. 


Abolition  of  Imprisonment  for  Debt.     321 

what  are  termed  c  family  men/  that  is,  rich  thieves  and 
receivers  of  stolen  goods,  did  reside  continually  in  the 
Fleet,  for  the  purpose  of  seducing  young  men  into  the 
commission  of  Crime.  He  was  in  and  out  of  the 
Prison,  but  a  Prisoner  on  a  friendly  arrest." 

The  time  was  coming,  when  imprisonment  for  debt 
was  to  be  abolished.  An  Act  of  1  &  2  Vict.  cap.  no 
had  already  abolished  Arrest  on  Mesne  Process  in  Civil 
Actions,  so  that  no  prisoners  could  be  committed  to 
the  Fleet  from  the  Courts  of  Chancery,  Exchequer,  and 
Common  Pleas,  and  the  Debtors  and  Bankrupts  might 
as  well  be  in  the  Queen's  Bench.  The  Demolition  of 
the  Fleet  was  therefore  confidently  anticipated,  as  we 
find  by  the  following  paragraph  from  the  Times,  March 
3,  1 841.  "Removal  of  Prisoners.  On  Saturday  a 
deputation  from  the  Woods  and  Forests,  attended  by 
the  Marshal,  visited  the  Queen's  Bench  Prison,  prepara- 
tory to  moving  over  the  Debtors  from  the  Fleet,  which 
prison  is  about  to  be  pulled  down.  By  this  arrange- 
ment the  Country  will  save  about  £15,000  per  annum, 
besides  getting  rid  of  an  ugly  object,  and  room  being 
made  for  other  contemplated  improvements.  It  is  sup- 
posed the  Judges  will  find  some  difficulty  in  removing 
the  Prisoners  from  the  Fleet  by  Habeas  Corpus,  and 
that  a  short  Bill  will  be  necessary  for  that  purpose. 
The  expenses  of  the  Queen's  Bench  Prison  in  its  present 
profitless  employment,  is  about  £30,000  per  annum  to 
the  Country." 

This  announcement  was  slightly  premature,  for  the 
Act  for  its  demolition  (5  &  6  Victorise,  cap.  22)  was  not 
passed  until  May  31,  1842.     The  Prisoners  objected  to 

22 


322  Prisoners   Object  to  Move. 

the  Transfer  to  the  Queen's  Bench,  preferring  their 
comparative  liberty  as  they  were,  to  the  more  stringent 
rules  of  the  other  prison  :  one  clause  in  the  new  Act 
being  :  "  And  be  it  enacted,  That  after  the  passing  of 
this  Act,  no  Prisoner  in  the  Queen's  Prison  shall  be 
allowed  to  send  for,  or  to  have  any  Beer,  Ale,  Victuals 
or  other  Food,  or  to  send  for,  have  or  use  any  Bedding, 
Linen,  or  other  Things,  except  such  as  shall  be  allowed 
to  be  brought  by  them  respectively  under  such  Rules, 
to  be  made  in  the  Manner  directed  by  this  Act,  as  may 
be  reasonable  and  expedient  to  prevent  Extravagance 
and  Luxury,  and  for  enforcing  due  Order  and  Discipline 
within  the  Prison." 

I  have  before  me  the  Original  Subscription  list  of  a 
scheme  of 

"  Resistance 

to 

The  Abolition  of  the  Fleet  Prison. 


April  9th,  1842." 

The  author  of  the  Letter  of  "  Fleta  to  the  Lords, 
calling  upon  them  individually  to  Oppose  the  Bill  for 
transferring  the  Debtors  in  the  Fleet  to  the  Queen's 
Prison,  respectfully  calls  upon  all  Parties  interested  in 
an  Opposition  to  the  said  Bill,  to  render  him  such  pecu- 
niary assistance  in  forwarding  his  Object,  as  may  be  con- 
sistent with  their  Views  or  Convenience."  A  list  of 
Subscriptions  follows,  but  although  25/-  was  promised, 


Opposition  to  Removal.  323 

only  15/-  appears  to  be  paid.     They  held  meetings,  a 
notice  calling  one  of  which   is  facsimiled ;  but  it  was 


r    -J-^- 


OUCL 


of  no  avail,  and  they  had  to  go.     One   Philip  Ball,  a 
Chancery  Prisoner,  composed 

"The  Last  Days  of  the  Fleet  ! 

A  melancholy  Chaunt, 

Written  by  a  Collegian,  on  the  occasion  of  the  Queen  s 

Prison  Bill  receiving  the  Royal  Assent. 


324 


The  Last  Days  of  the  Fleet.' 


Air.  cThe   Fine  Old  English  Gentleman.' 


I'll  sing  to  you  a  bran  new  song 
Made  by  my  simple  pate, 
About  the  end  of  the  good  old 

Fleet, 
Which  on  us  now  shuts  its  gate. 
It  has  kept  confin'd  the  choicest 

lads 
That  e'er  together  met — 
Of  merry,  jolly,  rattling  dogs, 
A  regular  slap  up  set. 

Of  jovial  Fleet  prisoners, 

All  of  the  present  day. 


This  good  old  pris'n   in   every 

room 
Contains  a  merry  soul, 
Who  for  his  doings  out  of  doors 
Is  now  drop't  '  in  the  hole.' 
But  surely  this  is  better  far 
Than  your  simple  plodding  way, 
Get  deep  in  debt,  go  through  the 

Court, 
And  whitewash  it  all  away. 

Like  a  jovial  Fleet  prisoner, 

All  of  the  present  day. 


For  T y,  S y,  V h, 

In  spirits  who  excel  ? 

How  could  we  better  live  than 

here, 
Where    friendship    weaves    her 

spell  ? 

'Mongst    jovial    Fleet    pri- 
soners, 

All  of  the  present  day. 


To  racquets,   skittles,  whistling 

shops, 
We  must  soon  say  farewell  ; 
The     Queen's     assent     to     her 

prison  bill 
Has  rung  their  funeral  knell  ; 
And  Bennett,  Gray,  and  Andrew 

too 
Must  close  their  welcome  doors, 
For  sing  song  and  tape  spinning 

now, 
This  damn'd  new  Act  all  floors, 

For    the    jovial    Fleet    pri- 
soner, 

All  of  the  present  day. 


Such  right  good  hearts  are  rarely 

found, 
As  round  me  now  I  see  ; 
With  such,  I'm  'most  inclined  to 

say, 
Hang  liberty  for  me. 


But  to  her  gracious  Majesty 
You'll  long  be  loyal  and  true, 
Although  this  latest  act  of  hers 
Must  be  felt  by  some  of  you. 
Speed    through    the    Court,    or 

compromise 
Like  gallant  Captain  T h, 


Sale  of  the  Fleet  Prison.  325 

Or  else  you'll  soon   be  sent  to   grieve 

Your  guts  out  in  the  Bench. 
All  melancholy  prisoners1 
Unlike  those  of  the  present  day. 

Much,  however,  as  the  prisoners  might  grieve,  it  was 
of  no  use  kicking  against  an  Act  of  Parliament,  and 
those  prisoners  who  did  not  take  advantage  of  the  In- 
solvent Debtors  Act,  were  transferred  to  the  Queen's 
Prison,  which  in  its  turn  ceased  to  be  a  debtor's  prison, 
and  was  used  by  Military  offenders,  until  it  was  sold 
on  Oct.  30,  1879,  and  pulled  down  in  that  and  the 
following  year.  Now,  legally  speaking,  there  is  no 
imprisonment  for  debt,  but  people  are  only  committed 
for  Contempt  of  Court. 

The  Commissioners  of  Woods  and  Forests  invited 
Tenders  for  the  site  and  buildings  of  the  late  Fleet 
Prison,  the  estate  of  which  contained  above  One  Acre, 
with  a  frontage  of  about  251  feet,  towards  Farringdon 
Street,  and  a  depth  of  about  230  feet.  The  tenders  were 
returnable  on  Oct.  22,  1844,  and  the  Corporation  of  the 
City  of  London  became  the  owners  of  the  property  at  a 
sum  variously  stated  at  £25,000  to  £29,000,  and  the 
sale  of  its  building  materials  commenced  on  April  5, 
1845.     Its  exterior  was  not  particularly  attractive. 

And  so  it  passed  away,  and  half  the  present  inhabi- 
tants of  London  the  Great  do  not  even  know  its  site, 
which  was  not  finally  cleared  until  1846.  As  a  guide 
to  those  who  wish  to  know  its  locality  I  may  mention 

1  When  the  prisoners  were  removed  there  were  two  who  had 
been  incarcerated  upwards  of  thirty  years,  and  were  in  the  Queen's 
prison  in  1845. 


GROUND  PLAN  OF  FLEET  PRISON. 


SECTION   OF  THE   PRISON. 


328 


Begging  Grate. 


that  the  Congregational  Memorial  Hall  and 
Library,  in  Farringdon  Street,  stands  on  a  portion  of 
its  site. 

Before  quitting  the  subject  of  the  Fleet  prison  I  can- 
not help  referring  to  "  the  grate."  Like  Ludgate,  it 
had  a  room  open  to  the  street,  but  furnished  with  a 
strong  iron  grating,  behind  which  sat  a  prisoner,  who 
called  the  attention  of  the  passers-by  monotonously 
chanting,   "  Pray   Remember  the  poor  Prisoners."     A 


EXTERIOR   OF   THE   GRATE. 


box  was  presented  for  the  reception  of  contributions, 
but  very  little  money  was  thus  obtained. 


Richard  Oastler. 


329 


The  begging  grate  was  served  by  poor  prisoners  who 
had  to  swear  that  they  were  not  worth  £5  in  the  world. 
He  was  then  entitled  to  share  the  contents  of  the 
begging  box,  and  also  be  a  partaker  of  the  charities  and 
donations  to  the  Prison,  which  amounted  to  the  magni- 
ficent sum  of  £i>9  I9s->  besides  meat,  coals,  and  bread. 

Prisoners  of  all  sorts  and  conditions  met  here,  on  one 
common  basis,  one  of  the  last  of  any  mark  being  Richard 
Oastler,  who  was  the  leader  of  the  Ten  Hours'  Bill 
Movement,  and  from  this  prison  he  issued  a  series  of 
"  Fleet  Papers  "  about  Free  Trade,  Factories  Acts,  and 
the  Amalgamation  of  the  Prisons.  He  died  in  1861, 
and  a  memorial  to  him  was  erected  at  Leeds. 


jFleet  9@arriage& 


CHAPTER     XXVI. 


THERE  is  no  doubt  that  in  the  seventeenth 
and  eighteenth  centuries,  the  Marriage  laws,  as 
we  now  understand  them,  were  somewhat  lax, 
and  it  is  possible  that  it  was  so  long  before  that  time, 
for  in  Edward  VI.'s  time  an  Act  was  passed  (2  and  3 
Ed.  VI.,  c.  21,  s.  3)  entitled  "An  Act  to  take  away 
all  positive  laws  made  against  marriage  of  priests." 
Section  3  provides  that  it  shall  not  "  give  any  liberty 
to  any  person  to  marry  without  asking  in  the  church, 
or  without  any  ceremony  being  appointed  by  the  order 
prescribed  and  set  forth  in  the  book  intituled  "  The 
Book  of  Common  Prayer,  and  administration  of  the 
Sacraments,  &c."  Mary,  of  course,  repealed  this  Act, 
and  it  was  revived  and  made  perpetual  by  1  Jas.  1.  c. 
25,  s.  50. 

It  was  only  after  the  Council  of  Trent,  that  the  offices 


332  Illegal  Marriages. 

of  the  Church  were  considered  indispensable,  for  that 
Council  decreed  that  a  priest,  and  two  witnesses  were 
necessary  for  the  proper  celebration  of  the  Nuptial  tie. 
Still,  the  law  of  England,  like  the  law  of  Scotland, 
allowed  the  taking  of  a  woman  as  wife  before  witnesses, 
and  acknowledging  her  position,  which  constituted  at 
common  law  a  good  and  lawful  marriage,  which  could 
not  be  annulled  by  the  Ecclesiastical  Court.  That  many 
such  took  place  among  the  Puritans  and  Sectarians  of 
the  time  of  Charles  I.  and  the  Commonwealth  is  un- 
doubted, for  it  needed  an  Act  of  Parliament  (12  Chas. 
II.  c.  33)  to  render  such  marriages  legal.  This  enacted 
"  That  all  marriages  had,  or  solemnized,  in  any  of  his 
Majesty's  dominions  since  the  first  day  of  May,  in  the 
year  of  our  Lord,  one  thousand  six  hundred  forty  and 
two,  before  any  justice  of  the  Peace,  or  reputed  justice 
of  the  Peace  of  England,  or  Wales,  or  other  his 
Majesty's  dominions,  .  .  .  shall  be,  and  shall  be  ad- 
judged, esteemed,  and  taken  to  be,  and  to  have  been  of 
the  same,  and  no  other  force  or  effect,  as  if  such  mar- 
riages had  been  had,  and  solemnized,  according  to  the 
rites  and  ceremonies  established,  or  used  in  the  Church 
or  kingdom  of  England ;  any  law,  custom,  or  usage  to 
the  contrary  thereof  notwithstanding." 

This  short  synopsis  of  the  Marriage  law  in  England 
is  necessary,  in  order  to  understand  the  subject  of 
Fleet  Marriages,  which,  however,  were  not  all  dis- 
reputable. The  Fleet,  as  we  have  seen,  had  a  Chapel 
of  its  own;  and  in  old  times,  a  Chaplain — so  that 
Marriages  might  well  be  celebrated  there,  in  as  proper 
and  dignified  a  manner  as  elsewhere.     And,  we  must 


Marriages.  333 

bear  in  mind  that  early  in  the  seventeenth  century,  the 
prisoners  were  of  a  very  different  stamp  to  those  of  the 
latter  half  of  the  eighteenth  century,  until  the  demolition 
of  the  prison.  Therefore  we  see  no  impropriety  in  the 
first  Marriage  known  on  record — which  is  that  of  Mr. 
Geo.  Lester,  then  a  prisoner  in  the  Fleet,  to  a  woman 
of  fortune  one  Mistress  Babbington.  This  is  mentioned 
in  a  letter  of  September,  16 13,  from  Alderman  Lowe 
to  Lady  Hicks,  and  may  be  found  in  the  Lansdowne 
MSS.  93-17.  He  writes  :  "  Now  I  am  to  enform  you 
that  an  ancyentt  acquayntence  of  ye  and  myne  is 
yesterday  marryed  in  the  Fleete,  one  Mr.  George 
Lester,  and  hath  maryed  Mris  Babbington,  Mr  Thomas 
Fanshawe  mother  in  lawe.  Itt  is  sayd  she  is  a  woman 
of  goode  wealthe,  so  as  nowe  the  man  wyll  be  able  to 
lyve  and  mayntayne  hymself  in  pryson,  for  hether  unto 
he  hath  byne  in  poor  estate.  I  praye  God  he  be  nott 
encoryged  by  his  marige  to  do  as  becher  doth,  I  meane 
to  troble  his  frynds  in  lawe,  but  I  hope  he  wyll  have 
a  better  conscyence  and  more  honestye  than  the  other 
men  hathe." 

Towards  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  century 
clandestine,  and  irregular  marriage  was  prevalent,  and 
it  is  easily  accounted  for.  A  public  marriage  had  come 
to  be  a  very  expensive  affair.  There  was  a  festival, 
which  lasted  several  days,  during  which  open  house  had 
to  be  kept ;  there  were  the  Marriage  Settlements,  pre- 
sents, pin  money,  music,  and  what  not — so  that  the 
binding  of  their  Children  in  the  holy  Estate  of  Matri- 
mony was  a  serious  matter  to  parents ;  who  probably 
preferred    giving    the    young    couple    the    money  that 


334  Cost  of  Marriage. 

otherwise  would  go  in  useless  waste  and  profusion. 
So  they  used  to  get  married  quietly :  a  custom  which 
Pepys  reprobates  in  the  marriage  of  the  daughter  of 
Sir  William  Penn  to  Mr.  Anthony  Lowther.  "  No 
friends,  but  two  or  three  relations  of  his  and  hers/' 
The  bride  was  married  in  "  palterly  clothes,  and 
nothing  new  but  a  bracelet  that  her  servant  had  given 
her."  And  he  further  says,  remarking  on  the  meanness 
of  the  whole  affair,  "  One  wonder  I  observed  to  day, 
that  there  was  no  musique  in  the  morning  to  call  up 
our  new  married  people,  which  is  very  mean,  methinks." 
Misson,  who  visited  England  in  the  reign  of 
William  III.,  speaks  of  these  private  marriages.  "The 
Ordinary  ones,  as  I  said  before,  are  generally  incognito. 
The  Bridegroom,  that  is  to  say,  the  Husband  that  is 
to  be,  and  the  Bride,  who  is  the  Wife  that  is  to  be, 
conducted  by  their  Father  and  Mother,  or  by  those 
that  serve  them  in  their  room,  and  accompany'd  by 
two  Bride  men,  and  two  Bride  Maids,  go  early  in  the 
Morning  with  a  Licence  in  their  Pocket,  and  call  up 
Mr.  Curate  and  his  Clerk,  tell  them  their  Business ; 
are  marry'd  with  a  low  Voice,  and  the  Doors  shut ; 
tip  the  Minister  a  Guinea,  and  the  Clerk  a  Crown ; 
steal  softly  out,  one  one  way,  and  t'other  another, 
either  on  Foot  or  in  Coaches ;  go  different  Ways  to 
some  Tavern  at  a  Distance  from  their  own  Lodgings, 
or  to  the  House  of  some  trusty  Friend,  there  have 
a  good  Dinner,  and  return  Home  at  Night  as  quietly 
as  Lambs.  If  the  Drums  and  Fiddles  have  notice  of 
it,  they  will  be  sure  to  be  with  them  by  Day  Break, 
making  a  horrible  Racket,  till  they  have  got  the  Pence ; 


Peculiars.  335 

and,  which  is  worst  of  all,  the  whole  Murder  will  come 
out."  This  senseless  custom  survives,  in  a  modified 
degree,  in  our  times,  when  on  the  marriage  of  a  journey- 
man butcher,  his  companions  treat  him  to  a  performance 
of  the  "  Marrow  bones  and  Cleavers,"  and  also  in  the 
case  of  marriage  of  persons  in  a  superior  station  of  life, 
in  the  playing,  on  the  Organ,  of  a  Wedding  March. 

The  oldest  entry  of  a  Marriage  in  those  Registers 
of  the  Fleet  which  have  been  preserved  is  a.d.  1674, 
and  there  is  nothing  to  lead  us  to  imagine  that  it  was 
more  irregular  than  that  of  Mistress  Babbington ;  on 
the  contrary,  it  is  extremely  probable  that,  previously, 
prisoners  were  married  in  their  chapel,  with  the 
orthodox  publication  of  banns,  and  by  their  own 
Chaplain.  But  marriages  were  performed  without 
licence  or  banns  in  many  churches,  which  claimed  to 
be  peculiars,  and  exempt  from  the  Visitation  of  the 
Ordinary :  as  St.  James',  Duke's  Place,  now  pulled 
down,  denied  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Bishop  of  London 
because  the  Mayor,  Commonalty,  and  Citizens  of 
London,  were  Lords  of  the  Manor,  and  Patrons  of 
the  Church :  but  the  Rector  found  that  the  Eccle- 
siastical Law  was  stronger  than  he,  and  that  its  arm 
was  long  and  powerful,  and  the  Rev.  Adam  Elliott 
was  suspended  (Feb.  17,  1686)  for  three  years,  ab 
officio  et  beneficio,  for  having  married,  or  having  suffered 
persons  to  be  married,  at  the  said  Church,  without 
banns  or  licence.  He  did  not  suffer  the  full  term  of 
his  punishment,  for  he  managed  to  get  re-instated  on 
May  28,  1687.  and  began  his  old  practices  the  very 
next  day. 


2^6     Suppression  of  Irregular  Marriages. 

The  Chapel  of  Holy  Trinity,  Minories,  pleaded 
privilege,  on  the  ground  that  it  was  a  Crown  living, 
and  as  much  a  peculiar  as  Westminster  Abbey,  or  the 
Deanery  of  Windsor;  while  the  Chapels  of  the  Tower 
and  the  Savoy  sought  exemption  because  they  were 
Royal  Chapels,  and  therefore  the  Bishop  had  no  juris- 
diction over  them.  Besides  these,  there  were  very 
many  more  chapels  scattered  over  the  Metropolis  where 
irregular  marriages  were  performed,  a  list  of  about 
.  ninety  having  been  preserved. 

These  Marriages  so  increased  that  it  was  found 
necessary  to  legislate  about  them,  and,  in  1689,  an  Act 
(6  and  7  Will.  III.  c.  6,  s.  24)  was  passed  making 
it  compulsory,  under  a  penalty  of  One  Hundred 
pounds,  for  every  parson  to  keep  an  accurate  register 
of  births,  Marriages,  and  deaths.  Another  Act  was 
passed  in  1696  (17  and  18  Will.  III.  c.  35,  s.  2-3) 
whereby  a  penalty  of  £100  was  imposed  on  any  Clergy- 
man who  married,  or  permitted  another  to  marry, 
couples,  otherwise  than  by  banns  or  licence.  This  was 
enforced  by  another  Act  in  171 1  (10  Anne  c.  19,  s. 
176),  which  confirmed  the  penalty,  and  moreover,  this 
section  shows  that  irregular  marriages  were  getting  to 
be  common  in  prisons,  for  it  provides  that  "if  any 
gaoler,  or  keeper  of  any  prison,  shall  be  privy  to,  or 
knowingly  permit  any  marriage  to  be  solemnized  in 
his  said  prison,  before  publication  of  banns,  or  licence 
obtained,  as  aforesaid,  he  shall,  for  every  such  offence, 
forfeit  the  sum  of  one  hundred  pounds,"  &c. 

Of  course,  this  did  not  stop  the  practice,  although 
it  prevented  Marriages  in  the  Fleet  Chapel.     Yet  there 


A  Fleet  Parson's  Reflections.  337 

were  the  Rules,  and  real  and  pretended  clergymen  for 
many  years  plied  their  illicit  vocation  with  impunity. 

But  there  seems  to  have  been  some  compunc- 
tions of  conscience  even  among  this  graceless  lot,  for 
one  of  them,  Walter  Wyatt,  has  left  behind  him,  in  a 
pocket-book  dated  1736,  the  following  moral  reflections. 

"  Give  to  every  man  his  due,  and  learn  ye  way  of 
Truth.  This  advice  cannot  be  taken  by  those  that  are 
concerned  in  ye  Fleet  Marriages ;  not  so  much  as 
ye  Priest  can  do  ye  thing  yfc  is  just  and  right  there, 
unless  he  designs  to  starve.  For  by  lying,  bullying, 
and  swearing,  to  extort  money  from  the  silly  and 
unwary  people,  you  advance  your  business  and  gets  ye 
pelf,  which  always  wastes  like  snow  in  sun  shiney  day." 

"  The  fear  of  the  Lord  is  the  beginning  of  wisdom. 
The  Marrying  in  the  Fleet  is  the  beginning  of  eternal 
woe." 

"  If  a  dark  or  plyer  I  tells  a  lye,  you  must  vouch 
it  to  be  as  true  as  ye  Gospel ;  and  if  disputed,  you 
must  affirm  with  an  oath  to  ye  truth  of  a  downright 
damnable  falsehood — Virtus  laudatur  et  alget." 

That  this  custom  of  swearing  prevailed  at  Fleet 
Marriages  is  borne  out  by  contemporary  evidence. 
The  Grub  Street  Journal  July  20,  1732,  says:  "On 
Saturday  last,  a  Fleet  Parson  was  convicted  before  Sir 
Ric.  Brocas  of  forty  three-oaths  (on  the  information 
of  a  plyer  for  weddings  there)  for  which  a  warrant  was 

1  These  were  touts,  like  those  white-aproned  gentry  who  used 
to  infest  Doctors'  Commons,  telling  people  where  they  could 
procure  Marriage  licences — only  these  "plyers"  touted  for  the 
parsons. 

23 


23%  Fleet  Parsons. 

granted  to  levy  £4  6s.  on  the  goods  of  the  said  parson ; 
but,  upon  application  to  his  Worship,  he  was  pleased 
to  remit  is.  per  oath;  upon  which  the  plyer  swore 
he  would  swear  no  more  against  any  man  upon  the 
like  occasion,  rinding  he  got  nothing  by  it." 

And  an  anonymous  Newspaper  cutting  dated  1734, 
says,  "  On  Monday  last,  a  tall  Clergyman,  who  plies 
about  the  Fleet  Gate  for  Weddings,  was  convicted 
before  Sir  Richard  Brocas  of  swearing  42  Oaths,  and 
ordered  to  pay  ^4  2  s." 

There  were  regular  Chaplains  attached  to  the  Fleet 
Prison  to  serve  the  Chapel  there,  and,  as  we  have  seen, 
the  Warder  made  every  prisoner  pay  2d.  or  4d.  weekly, 
towards  his  stipend.  Latterly  the  Chaplaincy  was 
offered  to  a  Curate  of  St.  Bride's  Church — as  is  now 
done  in  the  case  of  Bridewell. 

A  complete  list  of  Chaplains  cannot  be  given,  because 
all  documents  were  destroyed  when  the  Fleet  was  burnt 
by  the  Lord  George  Gordon  rioters ;  but  Mr.  Burn 
in  his  <c  History  of  Fleet  Marriages"  (a  book  to  which 
I  am  much  indebted,  for  it  has  all  but  exhausted  the 
subject)  gives  the  names  of  some,  as  Haincks  in  1698  ; 
Robert  Elborough,  1702;  John  Taylor,  17 14;  Dr. 
Franks,  1728;  1797,  Weldon  Champneys;  1815, 
John  Manley  Wood,  and  John  Jones:  and  in  1834, 
the  date  of  the  publication  of  Mr.  Burn's  book,  the 
Rev.  Richard  Edwards,  was  the  Chaplain. 

These  Clergymen,  of  course,  married  couples  accord- 
ing to  Law,  and  probably  used  the  Chapel  for  that 
purpose.  We  know  that  it  was  so  used,  for  the 
Original  Weekly  Journal  of  Sept.  26,  17 19,  says  :  "  One 


An  Heiress  Married. 


339 


Mrs.  Anne  Leigh,  an  heiress  of  £200  per  annum  and 
£6000  ready  cash,  having  been  decoyed  away  from  her 
friends  in  Buckinghamshire,  and  married  at  the  Fleet 
chapel  against  her  consent;  we  hear  the  Lord  Chief 
Justice  Pratt  hath  issued  out  his  warrant  for  apprehend- 
ing the  authors  of  this  contrivance,  who  have  used  the 
young  lady  so  barbarously,  that  she  now  lyes  speechless." 


34O  Fleet  Parsons. 

But  it  is  not  of  the  Chaplains  I  would  speak,  but 
of  the  irregular  Clergy,  or  Lay  men,  who  performed  the 
Marriages.  One  thing  they  all  agreed  in,  the  wearing 
of  the  Cassock,  Gown,  and  Bands.  They  would  never 
have  been  believed  in  had  they  not.  The  accompany- 
ing illustration  I  gives  an  excellent  idea  of  the  Fleet 
Parson,  and  it  is  taken  from  an  Engraving  entitled 
"  The  Funeral  of  Poor  Mary  Hackabout,  attended 
by  the  Sisterhood  of  Drury  Lane  "  and  it  has  a  footnote 
calling  attention  to  the  "  wry-necked  "  parson.  "  The 
famous  Couple  Beggar  in  the  Fleet  >  a  Wretch,  who 
there  screens  himself  from  the  Justice  due  to  his  Villa  nies, 
and  daily  repeats  them!'  The  lady  holds  a  sprig  of 
Rosemary  in  her  hand,  which  in  polite  society  was 
always  presented  by  a  servant,  when  the  funeral  cortege 
was  about  to  leave  the  house  : — In  this  case,  a  dish  full 
of  sprigs  is  placed  upon  the  floor,  and  a  child  is  playing 
with  them.  The  Mourners  carried  them  to  the  grave, 
and  then  threw  them  in,  as  we  now  do,  flowers  and 
wreaths  of  the  same. 

Perhaps  one  of  the  earliest  notices  of  these  irregular 
Fleet  Parsons  is  in  the  first  year  of  Queen  Anne's  reign, 
very  soon  after  she  came  to  the  throne,  as  it  appears,  in 
the  Registry  of  the  Consistory  Court, — that  on  June  4, 
1 702,  the  Bishop  of  London  visited  the  common  prison 
called  the  Fleet,  London,  and  took  Master  Jeronimus 
Alley,  clerk,  to  task,  requiring  him  to  exhibit  to  the 
Chancellor  of  the  Diocese,  before  the  24th  June  instant, 
his  letters  of  ordination,  cf  and  his  Lordsp  ordered  him 
not  to  marry  or  perform  any  divine  Office  in  ye  Chapell 
in  ye  ffleet,  or  any  place  within  ye  Dioces  un^ill  he  has 
1  See  previous  page. 


Fleet  Parsons.  34 1 

exhibited  ye  same.     Mr.  Alley  soon  afterwards  fled  from 
ye  sd  Prison,  and  never  exhibited  his  orders." 

But  if  Alley  fled,  there  were  others  left,  and  the 
practice  of  marrying  without  banns,  or  licence,  brought 
forth  the  act  of  the  10th  Anne,  before  quoted.  It  was 
probably  before  this,  but  certainly  during  her  reign, 
that  the  following  letter  was  written,  which  also  is  in 
the  Bishop's  Registry. 

cc  Sir, — I  think  it  my  Duty  to  God  and  ye  Queen  to 
acquaint  you  with  ye  illegal  practices  of  ye  Ministers 
and  Clark  in  ye  Fleet  Chappeil  for  marrying  Clandestinely 
as  they  do  som  weeks  fifty  or  sixty  couple.  The 
Ministers  that  are  there  are  as  follows,  Mr.  Robt. 
Elborough,  he  is  an  ancient  man  and  is  master  of  ye 
Chappie,  and  marries  but  very  few  now  without  Banns 
or  Licence,  but  under  a  colour  doth  allow  his  Clark  to 
do  wl  he  pleases,  his  name  is  Barth.  Basset.  There  is 
there  also  one  Mr.  James  Colton  a  Clergyman,  he  lives 
in  Leather  Lane  next  door  to  ye  Coach  and  horses,  he 
hath  bin  there  these  four  years  to  marry,  but  no 
Prisoner,  he  marries  in  Coffee  houses,  in  his  own  house, 
and  in  and  about  ye  Fleet  gate,  and  all  ye  Rules  over, 
not  excepting  any  part  of  City  and  Suburbs.  This 
Clark  Basset  aforesaid  registers  wherever  Colton  marries 
in  ye  Fleet.  Register  and  gives  him  Certificates.  Colton 
had  a  living  in  Essex  till  ye  Bishop  of  London  deprived 
him  for  this  and  other  ill  Practices.  There  is  also  one 
Mr.  Nehemiah  Rogers,  he  is  a  prisoner  but  goes  at  larg 
to  his  P.  Living  in  Essex,  and  all  places  else,  he  is  a 
very  wicked  man,  as  lives  for  drinking,  whoring,  and 


342  Fleet  Parsons. 

swearing,  he  has  struck  and  boxed  ye  bridegroom  in  ye 
Chappie,  and  damned  like  any  com'on  souldier;  he 
marries  both  within  and  without  ye  Chappie  like  his 
brother  Colton.  There  was  one  Mr.  Alley ;  he  was  a 
Prisoner,  and  ye  benefit  of  weddings,  but  is  gone  to 
some  other  preferm'.  The  abovesaid  Basset  rents  ye 
sellers  of  ye  Fleet,  and  pays  for  y*  and  two  watchmen 
ioo  and  £20  p.  ann.  but  he  him  pays  but  £20  per  ann. 
for  ye  Clergy  pay  all  ye  rest,  and  if  they  do  not,  they 
are  threatened  to  be  confined  or  outed.  This  Clark 
hath  bin  sworn  in  Drs  Commons  not  to  marry  any 
without  Banns  or  Licence,  unless  it  be  such  poor  people 
as  are  recommended  by  ye  Justices  in  case  of  a  big  belly, 
but  have  married  since  many  hundreds,  as  I  and  many 
can  testifie  who  are  confined  Prisoners.  The  Chief  days 
to  marry  are  Sundays,  Tuesdays,  and  Saturdays,  but 
evry  day  more  or  less.  The  Clark  Basset  keeps  a 
Register  book,  altho  he  told  ye  Bishop  of  London  he 
had  none ;  he  also  antidates  as  he  pleases,  as  you  may 
see  when  you  look  over  ye  Registers ;  he  hath  another 
at  his  son's ;  he  does  what  he  pleases,  and  maintains  a 
great  family  by  these  ill  practices.  £200  p.  ann.  he 
hath  at  least.  The  Ministers  and  Clark  bribe  one  Mr. 
Shirley,  I  think  him  to  be  Collector  for  ye  Queen's 
Taxes.  I  hope,  Sir,  you  will  excuse  me  for  concealing 
my  name,  hoping  y1  you  will  inspect  into  these  base 
practices. 

For 

Dr.  Newton  Chancellrs 

to  Mv  Lord  of  London 
at  Drs  Commons 

These," 


CHAPTER   XXVIL 


BUT  the  Act  of  17 12  failed  to  stop  these  illicit 
marriages,  for  one  John  Mottram  was  tried  at 
Guildhall,  before  Lord  Chief  Justice  Parker,  found 
guilty,  was  suspended  from  his  ministerial  functions  for 
three  years,  and  was  fined  £100.  Of  this  case  there  is 
an  account  in  the  Weekly  Journal,  February  13,  17 17. 
"John  Mottram,  Clerk,  was  tryed  for  solemnizing 
clandestine  and  unlawful  marriages  in  the  Fleet  Prison, 
and  of  keeping  fraudulent  Registers,  whereby  it  appear'd 
that  he  had  dated  several  marriages  several  years  before 
he  enter'd  into  orders,  and  that  he  kept  no  less  than 
nine  several  Registers  at  different  houses,  which  con- 
tained many  scandalous  frauds.  It  also  appeared,  that  a 
marriage  was  antedated  because  of  pregnancy  ;  and,  to 
impose  on  the  ignorant,  there  was  written  underneath 
this  scrap  of  barbarous  Latin,  tc  Hi  non  nupti  fuerunt, 
sed  obtinerunt  Testimonium  propter  timorem  parentum,,, 
meaning  that  they  were  not  marryed,  but  obtained  this 


344  John  Gaynam. 

private  Register  for  fear  of  their  parents.  It  rather 
appeared  from  evidence,  that  these  sham  marriages  were 
solemnized  in  a  room  in  the  Fleet  they  call  the  Lord 
Mayor's  Chappel,  which  was  furnished  with  chairs, 
cushions,  and  proper  conveniences,  and  that  a  coal 
heaver  was  generally  set  to  ply  at  the  door  to  recom- 
mend all  couples  that  had  a  mind  to  be  marry'd,  to  the 
Prisoner,  who  would  do  it  cheaper  than  any  body.  It 
further  appear'd  that  one  of  the  Registers  only,  con- 
tained above  2,200  entrys  which  had  been  made  within 
the  last  year." 

Pennant,  writing  at  the  end  of  the  last  century,  gives 
us  his  personal  reminiscences  of  Fleet  Parsons  ("  Some 
Account  of  London,"  3rd  ed.,  1793,  p.  232),  "  In  walking 
along  the  street,  in  my  youth,  on  the  side  next  to  the 
prison,  I  have  often  been  tempted  by  the  question,  Sir, 
will  you  be  fleased  to  walk  in  and  be  married?  Along 
this  most  lawless  space  was  hung  up  the  frequent  sign 
of  a  male  and  female  hand  conjoined,  with,  Marriages 
performed  within,  written  beneath.  A  dirty  fellow  in- 
vited you  in.  The  parson  was  seen  walking  before  his 
shop ;  a  squalid  profligate  figure,  clad  in  a  tattered  plaid 
night  gown,  with  a  fiery  face,  and  ready  to  couple  you 
for  a  dram  of  gin,  or  roll  of  tobacco." 

Burn  gives  a  list  of  Fleet  Parsons,  first  of  whom 
comes  John  Gaynam,  who  married  from  about  1709  to 
1740.  He  rejoiced  in  a  peculiar  soubriquet,  as  will  be 
seen  by  the  following.  In  the  trial  of  Ruth  Woodward 
for  bigamy,  in  1737,  he  is  alluded  to  by  a  witness: — 

<c  John  Hall.     I    saw    her    married  at  the  Fleet  to 


The  Bishop  of  Hell.  345 

Robert  Holmes ;  'twas  at  the  Hand  and  Pen,  a  barber's 
shop. 

"  Counsel.     And  is  it  not  a  wedding  shop  too? 

a  Hall.  Yes,  I  don't  know  the  parson's  name,  but 
'twas  a  man  that  once  belonged  to  Creed  Church,  a 
very,  Justy,  jolly  man. 

fC  Counsel.  Because  there's  a  complaint  lodged  in  a 
proper  court,  against  a  Fleet  Parson,  whom  they  call 
The  Bishop  of  Hell." 

Some  verses,  however,  absolutely  settle  the  title  upon 
Gaynam. 

"THE    FLEET    PARSON 
A    Talc, 

BY  ANTI  MATRIM.  ...  OF  LONDON. 

Some  errant  Wags,  as  stories  tell, 

Assert  the  gloomy  prince  of  Hell 

In  th'  infernal  Region  has 

His  Officers  of  all  degrees, 

Whose  business  is  to  propagate 

On  Earth,  the  interest:;  of  his  State, 

Ecclesiastics  too  are  thought 

To  be  subservient  to  him  brought; 

And,  as  their  zeal  his  service  prize, 

He  never  fails  to  make  them  rise 

As  Dignitaries  in  his  Church, 

But  often  leaves  them  in  the  larch; 

For,  if  their  Fear  surmount  their  Zeal, 

(They)  quickly  his  resentment  feel; 

(Are)  sure  to  meet  with  dire  disgrace, 

(And)  warmer  Zealots  fill  their  place. 

(To)  make  these  Vacancies  repleat, 


346  John  Gaynam. 

He  borrows  P ns  from  the  Fleet, 

Long  has  old  G m  with  applause 

Obeyed  his  Master's  cursed  Laws, 
Readily  practis'd  every  Vice, 
And  equall'd  e'en  the  Devil  for  device. 
His  faithful  Services  such  favour  gain'd 

That  he,  first  B p  was  of  H — 1  ordain'd. 

Dan.  W e  (rose)  next  in  Degree, 

And  he  obtained  the  Deanery. 

Ned  Ash 11  then  came  into  grace, 

And  he  supplied  th'  Archdeacon's  place, 
But,  as  the  Devil  when  his  ends 
Are  served,  he  leaves  his  truest  friends ; 
So  fared  it  with  this  wretched  three, 
Who  lost  their  Lives  and  Dignity." 

There  is  mention  of  Gaynam  in  two  trials  for 
bigamy — first  in  chronological  order  coming  that  of 
Robert  Hussey. 

"  Dr.  Gainham.  The  9th  of  September,  1733,  I 
married  a  couple  at  the  Rainbow  Coffee  House,  the 
corner  of  Fleet  Ditch,  and  entered  the  marriage  in  my 
register,  as  fair  a  register  as  any  Church  in  England  can 
produce.  I  showed  it  last  night  to  the  foreman  of  the 
jury,  and  my  Lord  Mayor's  Clerk,  at  the  London 
Punch  House. 

"  Counsel.  Are  you  not  ashamed  to  come  and  own  a 
clandestine  marriage  in  the  face  of  a  Court  of  Justice? 

"  Dr.  Gainham  (bowing).  Video  meliora,  deteriora 
sequor. 

"  Counsel.  You  are  on  your  oath,  I  ask  you  whether 
you  never  enter  marriages  in  that  book,  when  there  is 
no  marriage  at  all  ? 


John  Gaynam.  347 

cc  Dr.  Gainham.  I  never  did  in  my  life.  I  page  my 
book  so,  that  it  cannot  be  altered." 

The  other  case  is  from  the  trial  of  Edmund  Danger - 
field  in  1736. 

{f  Dr.  Gainham.  I  don't  know  the  prisoner.  I  did 
marry  a  man  and  woman  of  these  names.  Here,  this  is 
a  true  register:  Edwd  Dangerfield  of  St.  Mary 
Newington  Butts,  Batchelor,  to  Arabella  Fast.  When 
I  marry  at  any  house,  I  always  set  it  down,  for  I  carry 
one  of  the  books  in  my  pocket,  and  when  I  go  home  I 
put  it  in  my  great  book. 

"  Court.     Do  you  never  make  any  alteration  ? 

"  Gainham.  Never,  my  Lord.  These  two  were 
married  at  Mrs.  Ball's,  at  the  Hand  and  Pen,  by  the 
Fleet  Prison,  and  my  name  is  to  her  book. 

cc  Counsel.  'Tis  strange  you  should  not  remember 
the  prisoner. 

"Gainham.  Can  I  remember  persons?  I  have 
married  2000  since  that  time.'' 

We  have  heard  of  Alley,  who  married  from  j  68 1  to 
1707;  of  Elborrow,  1698  to  1702;  and  of  Mottram, 
who  flourished  between  1709  and  1725. 

Of  Daniel  Wigmore,  the  Dean  of  the  previous  poem, 
we  know  little  except  that  he  married  between  T723 
and  1754.  The  Daily  Post  of  May  26,  1738,  says  of 
him.  "  Yesterday  Daniel  Wigmore,  one  of  the  parsons 
noted  for  marrying  people  within  the  Rules  of  the  Fleet, 
was  convicted  before  the  Right  Honourable  the  Lord 
Mayor,  of  selling  spirituous  liquors  contrary  to  law, " 


348  Edward  Ashwell. 

The  third  dignitary,  Edward  Ashwell,  the  Arch- 
deacon, was  notorious,  and  some  of  his  misdeeds  are 
recounted  in  a  letter  from  Wm,  Hodgson,  to  his 
brother,  a  Clergyman.  (Lansdowne  MSS.,  841,  fol. 
123). 

June  21,  1725. 

"  Reverend  Sir, — There  was  lately,  at  Southam,  in 
Warwickshire,  one  Edward  Ashwell,  who,  in  my 
absence,  got  possession  of  our  School,  and  preach'd  in 
Several  Churches  in  this  Neighbourhood.  I  take  the 
Liberty  to  Inform  you,  Since  I  hear  he  is  at  Kettering, 
that  he  is  A  Most  Notorious  Rogue  and  Impostor.  I 
have  now  certificates  on  my  hand,  of  his  having  two 
wives  alive  at  this  present  time,  and  he  was  very  Near 
Marrying  the  third,  in  this  Town,  but  the  fear  of  a 
prosecution  upon  the  Discovery  of  the  flaming  and 
Scandalous  Immoralities  of  his  life,  forc'd  him  away 
from  us.  In  a  short  time  Afterwards,  in  a  Village  not 
far  from  us,  he  attempted  to  Ravish  a  Woman,  but  was 
prevented  by  a  Soldier  then  in  the  house.  I  Can  assure 
you  he  is  in  no  Orders,  tho'  the  Audacious  Villain 
preaches  when  he  Can  get  a  pulpit.  I  have  a  whole 
packet  of  Letters  by  Me,  all  tending  to  the  Same 
Character,  which  I  think  Exceeds,  for  variety  of  all 
Manner  of  Inormous  practices,  what  Can  be  Charg'd 
upon  the  very  Scum  of  Mankind.  The  Accounts  are 
from  persons  of  integrity  and  known  Reputation. 

£C  I  prevented  him  preaching  one  Day  at  Brawnstin, 
Mr.  Somes's  parish.  It  would  be  A  very  kind  and 
Christian  Office  to  give  some  information  among  the 
Clergy,  that  they  may  not  be  Impos'd  upon  by  him, 


Edward  Ashwell.  349 

particularly  to  Mr.  Heyrick,  for  1  Married  Mr.  Aili- 
cock's  sister  of  Loddington.  I  know  you  will  pardon 
this  trouble  if  the  fellow  be  amongst  you. 

"  I  am,  your  affectionate  Brother, 

"  W.  Hodgson." 

We  hear  occasionally  of  this  "  professional  beauty  " 
in  the  Registers,  and  give  two  or  three  examples  : — 

"June  2 1  st,  1740.  John  Jones  of  Eaton  Sutton  in 
Bedfordshire,  and  Mary  Steward  of  the  same,  came  to 
Wood's  in  Fleet  Lane  about  six  o'clock  in  the  morning. 
Mr.  Ashwell  and  self  had  been  down  the  Market. 
Wood  called  him,  and  I  went  with  him  there,  found  the 
said  man  and  woman,  offer'd  Mr,  Ashwell  3  shilling  to 
marry  him  ;  he  would  not,  so  he  swore  very  much,  and 
would  have  knocked  him  down,  but  for  me.  was  not 
married,  took  this  memorandum  that  they  might 
not  Pretend  afterwards  they  was  married,  and  not 
Reoister'd." 

"July  15  (1744).  Came  a  man  and  wooman  to  the 
Green  Canister,  he  was  an  Irishman  and  Taylor  to  bee 
married.  Gave  Mr.  Ashwell  2  :  6.  but  would  have  5s., 
went  away,  and  abused  Mr.  Ashwell  very  much,  told 
him  he  was  a  Thief,  and  I  was  worse.  Took  this 
account  because  should  not  say  they  was  married,  and 
not  Registered.  N.B.  The  Fellow  said  Mr.  Warren 
was  his  relation." 

It  was  the  custom  for  these  Fleet  Parsons  to  carry 
with  them  pocket  books,  in  which  were  roughly  entered 
the  names  of  the  Married   Couple,  and,  occasionally,  if 


35°  John  Floud. 

they  wished  their  names  to  be  kept  secret,  and  paid,  of 
course,  a  proportionate  fee,  their  full  names  were  not 
transcribed  into  the  larger  Register,  as  the  following 
shows  : — 

"  September  ye  i  ith,  1745.  Edwd. and  Eliza- 
beth   were  married,  and  would  not  let  me  know 

their  names,  ye  man  said  he  was  a  weaver,  and  liv'd  in 
Bandy  leg  walk  in  the  Borough.         Pr.  E.  Ashwell.,, 

He  was  so  famous  that  he  was  honoured  with  an 
obituary  notice  in  the  press,  vide  the  General  Advertiser, 
Jan.  15,  1746.  (c  On  Monday  last,  died,  in  the  Rules 
of  the  Fleet,  Doctor  Ashwell,  the  most  noted  operator 
in  Marriages  since  the  death  of  the  never-to-be-forgotten 
Dr.  Gaynam." 

John  Floud,  or  Flood,  did  a  good  business  from  the 
time  of  Queen  Anne,  1709,  to  Dec.  31,  1729,  when  he 
died  within  the  Rules  of  the  Fleet.  He  was  a  very 
queer  Character,  keeping  a  mistress  who  played  jackall 
to  his  lion,  and  touted  for  couples  to  be  married.  He 
died  suddenly  whilst  celebrating  a  wedding.  Yet  even 
he  seems  to  have  had  some  compunction  as  to  his  course 
of  life,  like  Walter  Wyatt :  for,  in  one  of  his  pocket 
books  is  the  following  verse. 

"  I  have  Liv'd  so  long  I  am  weary  Living, 
I  wish  I  was  dead,  and  my  sins  forgiven  : 
Then  I  am  sure  to  go  to  heaven, 
Although  I  liv'd  at  sixes  and  sevens." 

John  Floud  had  a  peculiarity ;  if  ever  he  wanted  to 
make  memoranda,  which   were  not  convenient  to  intro- 


John    Floud.  351 

duce   into  his  ordinary  Register  he  partially  used  the 
Greek  character,  as  being  "  Caviar  to  the  general,"  thus  : 

"13  Jan.  1728.  fiapp  :  rhp?]?)  ghZXXZvyg  &  ovt)  8°  X'lQT~'fixaT1h  Th?/ 
fipldriypoo/j,  wag  rhr)  /3porh?jp  of  rhrj  fj,t]{jiopa€Xtj  Jovctrhav  V/ZXd  Ex^un/o 
ar  TyGvpv." 

Marr.  :  three  shillings  and  one  ditto  Certificate.  The 
bridegroom  was  the  brother  of  the  memorable  Jonathan 
Wild,  Executed  at  Tyburn. 

"8  Mar.  1728.  Norhu/y  tvr  a  voti\  of  havd  fop  rhXg  fiappZayrj  whi^h 
vrjvijp  wag  (paid." 

Nothing  but  a  note  of  hand  for  this  marriage,  which 
never  was  paid. 

"  27  August,  1728.  fiapplayi/  r\upTiir]i>  ffhZWZvyg  &  ovii  &  gix^'I^X'l 
X,}°TtflXaT'h  T^V  wofiav  vor  xafivY  T0  &I  fMxppZijS  ~iv  rh//  <I>\?/?/r  I  had 
rhrifx  [lappZijS  ar  jxp  (ipowvg  ar  /.ip  HappZgovg  Zv  iptldyrjovt]  xov9T  IV  T^7I 
OXd  BalXriy  ar  fovp  a.x^°XX  ~lv  rn,7  fiopvlvy.'7 

Marriage  thirteen  shillings,  and  one  and  sixpence 
Certificate.  The  woman  not  caring  to  be  married  in 
the  Fleet,  I  had  them  married  at  Mr.  Brown's,  at  Mr. 
Harrison's  in  Pidgeone  Court,  in  the  Old  Bailey  at  four 
a'clock  in  the  morning. 

"12  Aug.  1729.  ipd  fivT]  ghZXXZvyg  <pi)p  TOraX.  N.B.  Th?/  28th  of 
AtppZX  1736  fipg  fiijXX  xaM  av8  EapviigrXy  Zvrptjariid  fxri  to  Epagrj  Th»/ 
fiappZaytf  ovt  0/  rh?/  /3<>o%  for  rhar  hrjp  hug£avd  had  Gijar  avd  a€ugi]d 
hrjp  Zv  a  £ap€apovg  /xavvijp.  ...  1  jxadrj  hqp  €rj\eZvri  I  dZd  go,  fop  whl^h 
I  had  haXj  a  yvivija,  avd  ghrj  ut  rhr}  gcifiij  tZjxij  dijXZvijorjd  \ir\  v<p  hrjp 
XVPrVlXaTTi-      No  (prjpgov  QprjgrjVT  (AxxopdZvy  to  hrjp   Srjgiprj)." 

Paid  five  shillings  per  total.  N.B. — The  28th  of 
April,  1736,  Mrs.  Bell  came  and  earnestly  intreated  me 


3S2 


Walter  Wyatt. 


to  erase  the  Marriage  out  of  the  book,  for  that  her 
husband  had  beat  and  abused  her  in  a  barbarous  manner. 
.  .  .  I  made  her  believe  I  did  so,  for  which  I  had  half 
a  guinea,  and  she,  at  the  same  time,  delivered  me  up  her 
certificate.    No  person  present  (according  to  her  desire). 

Perhaps,  next  to  Dr.  Gaynam,  the  bishop,  no  one 
did  more  business  in  Fleet  Marriages  than  Walter 
Wyatt.  We  have  already  read  some  of  his  moral 
apothegms.  He  made  a  large  income  out  of  his 
Marriages,  and,  looking  at  the  value  of  money,  which 
was  at  least  three  times  that  of  the  present  time,  his 
profession  was  highly  lucrative.  Take  one  Month  for 
instance.     October,  1748 — 


Oct 

ye  1  at 

home 

2 

1 1 

6 

abroad 

nil. 

2 

» 

5 

13 

6 

5) 

11 

6 

3 

5> 

2 

*5 

6 

•>•> 

16 

0 

4 

)» 

12 

3 

JJ 

10 

0 

5 

5» 

1 

5 

6 

V) 

nil. 

6 

■>•> 

10 

6 

I 

4 

6 

7 

•)■> 

1 

8 

6 

11 

nil. 

17 

l9 

rotal 

3 

From 

8th 

to  15th 

•>i 

17 

6 

6 

■>•> 

15  th 

„    2lSt 

•>■> 

10 

0 

6 

95 

2ISt 

„    27  th 

it 

6 

17 

0 

5> 

28th 

„    3lSt 

» 

5 

9 

6 

£57 


Or  nearly  ^700  a  year — equal  to  about  ^2,500  of  our 
Currency.  No  wonder  then,  that  when  he  died, 
March  13,  1750,  he  left  a  will  behind  him,  which  was 


Walter  Wyatt.  353 

duly  proved  ;  and  by  it  he  left  his  children  in  ward  to 
his  brother,  and  different  legacies  to  his  family — to  his 
married  daughter  Mary,  he  bequeathed  five  pounds, 
and  his  estate  at  Oxford. 

He  describes  himself,  on  the  cover  of  one  of  the 
Registers,  as  cc  Mr.  Wyatt,  Minister  of  the  Fleet,  is 
removed  from  the  Two  Sawyers,  the  Corner  of  Fleet 
Lane  (with  all  the  Register  Books),  to  the  Hand  and 
Pen  near  Holborn  Bridge,  where  Marriages  are  solem- 
nized without  imposition. "  But  there  seem  to  have 
been  other  establishments  which  traded  on  Wyatt's 
sign,  probably  because  he  was  so  prosperous.  Joshua 
Lilley  kept  the  Hand  and  Pen  near  Fleet  Bridge. 
Matthias  Wilson's  house  of  the  same  sign  stood  on  the 
bank  of  the  Fleet  ditch  ;  John  Burnford  had  a  similar 
name  for  his  house  at  the  foot  of  Ludgate  Hill,  and 
Mrs.  Balls  also  had  an  establishment  with  the  same 
title. 

He  seems  to  have  attempted  to  invade  Parson  Keith's 
peculiar  in  May  Fair,  or  it  may  only  be  an  Advertising 
ruse  on  the  part  of  that  exceedingly  keen  practitioner, 
in  order  to  bring  his  name  prominently  before  the 
public.  At  all  events  there  is  an  Advertisement  dated 
August  27,  1748.  <c  The  Fleet  Parson  (who  very 
modestly  calls  himself  Reverend),  married  at  the  Fleet, 

in  Mr.  L ryPs  house,  Mrs.  C k's,  at  the  Naked 

Boy,  and  for  Mr.  W yt,  the  Fleet  Parson.    And  to 

shew  that  he  is  now  only  for  Mr.  W yt,  the  Fleet 

Parson's  deputy,  the  said  W- yt  told  one  in  May 

Fair,  that  he  intended  to  set  up  in  opposition  to  Mr. 
Keith,  and  send  goods  to  furnish  the  house,  and  main- 

24 


354 


Walter  Wyatt. 


tains  him  and  the  men  who  ply  some  days  at  the  Fleet, 
and  at  other  times  at  May  Fair.  But  not  to  speak  of 
the  men,  if  he  himself  was  not  a  Fleet  Parson,  he  could 
never  stand  in  Piccadilly,  and  run  after  Coaches  and 
foot  people  in  so  shameful  a  manner,  and  tell  them  Mr. 
Keith's  house  is  shut  up,  and  there  is  no  Chapel  but 
theirs ;  and  to  other  people  he  says,  their  Fleet  Chapel 
is  Mr.  Keith's  Chapel,  and  this  he  hath  said  in  the 
hearing  of  Mr.  Keith's  clerk,  and  it  is  known  to  most 
of  the  people  about  May  Fair,  and  likewise  Mr.  Keith 
appeals  to  the  generality  of  people  about  the  Fleet  and 
May  Fair,  for  proof  of  Mr.  Reverend's  being  only 
W — — yts,  the  Fleet  parson's  deputy.'' 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 


OF  JAMES  STARKE Y,  who  married  from  171 8 
to  1730,  very  little  is  known,  except  that  he  had 
run  away  to  Scotland,  and  could  not  be  produced 
when  wanted  at  a  trial  in  the  Old  Bailey.  And  also  of 
Robert  Cuthbert,  1723-30  —  very  little  is  known 
except  through  the  medium  of  his  pocket-books,  and 
they  recount  his  love  of  horse  flesh,  and  the  prices  he 
paid  for  his  mounts. 

Of  Thomas  Crawford,  1 723-1 748,  we  hear  some- 
thing from  a  letter  in  that  curious  mdlange  of  News, 
the  Grub  Street  Journal,  June  10,  1736  : — 

<c  Gentlemen,  Having  frequently  heard  of  the  many 
abominable  practises  of  the  Fleet,  I  had  the  Curiosity, 
May  23,  to  take  a  view  of  the  place,  as  I  accidently 
was  walking  by. 

"  The  first  thing  observable  was  one  J- L ,J 

1  Joshua  Lilly,  who  kept  one  of  the  Hand  and  Pen  houses,  and 
said  that  he  had  been  appointed  Registrar  of  Marriages,  by  the 


356  The  Lille ys. 

by  trade  a  Carpenter  (whose  brother,  it  is  said,  keeps 
the  sign  of  the  B and  G r),1  cursing,  swearing, 

Lord  Chancellor,  and.  had  paid  £1,000  for  the  post.  He  did  not 
marry  people,  but  kept  presumable  Clergymen  to  do  so.  He  is 
mentioned  several  times  in  the  Registers  and  Pocket-books.  Once, 
at  all  events,  he  was  in  danger  of  the  judgment  seat,  as  Ashwell 
writes  in  one  of  his  pocket-books  :  "  N.B.  On  Sunday,  November 
ye  6,  1740,  at  ye  hour  of  9,  in  my  house  declared  that,  if  he  had 
not  come  home  out  of  ye  country,  being  fled  for  punishment, 
having  Cut  of  his  hair  (to  prevent  being  known),  y*  ye  indictment 
for  marrying  James  Hussey  to  Miss  Henrietta  Arnold,  he  had 
(been)  ruin  d  but  yt  he  swore  it  off  and  ye  attorney  promis'd  to 
defend  him,  and  it  cost  him  only  a  treat  of  10/;  had  I  staid,  says 

the  sd  Joshua  Lilley,  where  I  was,  viz. ,  the  indictment  would 

have  stood  good  against  me,  but  my  taking  ye  side  of  the  prosecutor, 
ye  young  ladies,  I  have  got  safe  off."  In  a  Register  is  a  notice  re- 
lating to  him.  "June  ye  13th,  1744.  Whereas  one  Joshua  Lilley, 
being  a  noted  man  for  having  more  marriages  at  his  house  than 
the  generality  of  ye  people  could  have,  he  the  said  Joshua  Lilley 
keeping  several  plyars,  as  they  are  calFd,  to  gett  these  weddings, 
I  have  put  his  marriages  down  in  a  separate  book,  but  iindend  ill- 
convenience  arise  thereby,  fro'  this  13th  instant,  do  insert  it  wth  ye 
rest."  And  one  of  his  handbills  describes  him  as  'J.  Lilley,  at  ye 
Hand  and  Pen,  next  door  to  the  china  shop,  Fleet  Bridge,  London, 
will  be  perform'd  the  solemnization  of  marriages  by  a  gentleman 
regularly  bred  att  one  of  our  Universities,  and  lawfully  ordain'd 
according  to  the  institutions  of  the  Church  of  England,  and  is 
ready  to  wait  on  any  person  in  town  or  countrey." 


1  This  was  John  Lilley,  who  kept  a  public-house,  called  the 
Bull  and  Garter.  In  1717  he  was  found  guilty,  and  fined  five 
pounds,  for  acting  as  Clerk  at  a  Fleet  Marriage.  He  was  a  turnkey 
at  the  Fleet  Prison,  and  in  his  house  he  had  a  room  for  solemniz- 
ing marriages — which  he  called  a  Chapel — issuing  certificates 
bearing  the  City  Arms,  and  purporting  to  be  the  Lord  Mayor's 
Certificates. 


Fleet  Parsons.  357 

and  raving  in  the  street  in  the  time  of  divine  service, 
with  a  mob  of  people  about  him,  calling  one  of  his 
fraternity  (J.  E.),1  a  Plyer  for  Weddings,  an  informing 
rogue,  for  informing  against  one  of  their  Ministers  for 
profane  cursing  and  swearing,  for  which  offence  he  paid 
three  pounds  odd  money  :  the  hearing  of  which  pleased 
me  very  well,  since  I  could  find  one  in  that  notorious 
place  which  had  some  spark  of  grace  left ;  as  was 
manifested  by  the  dislike  he  shewed  to  the  person  that 
was  guilty  of  the  profanation  of  God's  sacred  name. 

"  When  the  mob  was  dispersed,  I  walked  about  some 
small  time,  and  saw  a  person,  exceeding  well-dress'd  in 
flower'd  morning  gown,  a  band,  hat  and  wig,  who 
appeared  so  clean  that  I  took  him  for  some  worthy 
divine,  who  might  have,  accidentally,  be  making  the 
same  remarks  as  myself;  but   upon  inquiry  was  sur- 

pris'd  at  being  assured  he  was  one  T C 2  a 

watchmaker,  who  goes  in  a  Minister's  dress,  personating 
a  Clergyman,  and  taking  upon  him  the  name  of  Doctor, 
to  the  scandal  of  the  Sacred  function.  He  may  be 
seen  any  time  at  the  Bull  and  Garter,  or  the  Great  Hand, 
and  Pen  and  Star,  with  these  words  under  written. 
c  'The  old  and  true  Register y  near  the  Rainbow  Coffee 
House. — T.  S." 

Peter  Symson,  who  married  1 731-1754,  describes 
himself  in  his  handbill,  as  "  educated  at  the  University 
of  Cambridge,  and  late  Chaplain  to  the  Earl  of  Rothes/' 

1  Probably  John  Evans,  who  married  from  1689  to  1729,  both 
at  the  King's  Bench  and  Fleet. 

2  I  am  unable  to  identify  these  initials. 


358  Fleet  Parsons. 

His  "  Chapel "  was  at  the  Old  Red  Hand  and  Mitre, 
three  doors  from  Fleet  Lane,  and  next  door  to  the 
White  Swan.  As  were  most  of  his  fellows,  he  was 
witness    in    a  bigamy  trial   in    1751.     He  was  asked, 

"  Why  did  you  marry  them  without  license  ? 

"  Symson.  Because  somebody  would  have  done  it,  if  I 
had  not.  I  was  ordained  in  Grosvenor  Square  Chapel 
by  the  Bishop  of  Winchester — the  Bishop  of  Lincoln. 
Can't  say  I  am  a  prisoner  in  the  Fleet.  Am  43  years 
old.  Never  had  a  benefice  in  my  life.  I  have  had 
little  petty  Curacies  about  ^20  or  ^30  per  year.  I 
don't  do  it  for  lucre  or  gain. 

"  Court.  You  might  have  exposed  your  person  had 
you  gone  on  the  highway,  but  you'd  do  less  prejudice 
to  your  country  a  great  deal.  You  are  a  nuisance  to 
the  public  ;  and  the  gentlemen  of  the  jury,  it  is  to  be 
hoped,  will  give  but  little  credit  to  you." 

When  Keith  of  Mayfair  was  committed  to  the  Fleet, 
Symson  married  for  him  from  1750  to  1754. 

There  was  another  Fleet  Parson  named  William 
Dare,  1 732-1 746,  who  had  such  a  large  connection 
that  he  employed  a  Curate  to  help  him ;  but  then,  his 
marriages  were  150  to  200  a  month. 

James  Lando  is  somewhat  shrouded  in  mystery,  for  it 
is  possible  that  he  was  identical  with  the  gentleman  who 
is  described  at  the  end  of  one  of  the  Fleet  Registers  as 
<c  John  Lando,  a  French  Minister,  in  Church  Street,  Soho, 
opposite  att  a  French  pastry  or  nasty  Cook's.  Kis  Land- 
lord's name  is  Jinkstone,  a  dirty  chandler's  shop  :  he  is 
to  be  heard  of  in  the  first  flower  next  the  skye." 


Fleet  Parsons.  359 

He  really  was  a  <c  Chaplain  of  the  Fleet,"  for  he  was 
Chaplain  on  board  H.B.M.S.  Falkland  from  May  29, 
1744,  to  Jan.  17,  1746.  He  had  a  house  in  Half 
Moon  Court,  the  first  house  joining  to  Ludgate,  which 
was  at  the  Corner  of  the  Old  Bailey.  This  he  called 
St.  John's  Chapel,  and  here  he  not  only  solemnized 
marriages,  but  taught  Latin  and  French  three  times  a 
week. 

An  advertisement  of  his  states  that  <c  Marriages  with 
a  Licence,  Certificate,  and  a  Crown  Stamp,  at  a  Guinea, 
at  the  New  Chapel,  next  door  to  the  China  Shop,  near 
Fleet  Bridge,  London,  by  a  regular  bred  Clergyman, 
and  not  by  a  Fleet  Parson,  as  is  insinuated  in  the  public 
papers  ;  and  that  the  town  may  be  freed  (from)  mis- 
takes, no  Clergyman  being  a  prisoner  in  the  Rules  of 
the  Fleet  dare  marry  ;  and  to  obviate  all  doubts,  this 
Chapel  is  not  in  the  verge  of  the  Fleet,  but  kept  by  a 
Gentleman  who  was  lately  on  board  one  of  his  Majesty's 
men  of  war,  and  likewise  has  gloriously  distinguished 
himself  in  defence  of  his  King  and  Country,  and  is 
above  committing  those  little  mean  actions  that  some 
men  impose  on  people,  being  determined  to  have  every- 
thing conducted  with  the  utmost  decency  and  regu- 
larity, such  as  shall  be  always  supported  in  law  and 
equity." 

Burn  gives  a  list  of  others  who  married  in  the  Fleet, 
but  does  not  pretend  it  to  be  exhaustive.  Still,  the  list 
is  a  long  one. 


Bates 

... 

Brayiield,  Sam.  ., 

..  1754 

Becket,  John 

...  1748 

Bynes,  Benj. 

.  1698  to  171 1 

Buckler,  Sam. 

...  1732^1751 

Barrett,  Mich.   . 

■•  1717  »  1738 

36° 

Fleet  Parsons. 

Colton,  James    ... 

1681  to 

1721 

Roberts,     Edward 

1698 

Callow,  Jos. 

1752 

Reynolds,  E. 

1749 

Clayton  ... 

1720 

Rogers,  Nehemiah 

1700  to 

1703 

Colteman 

1688 

Shadwell,      Ralph 

1733  „ 

1734 

Draper   ... 

1689  to 

1716 

Shaw,  James 

1723 

Denevan,    Franci 

5    1747   » 

1754 

Sindrey,     Richard 

1722  to 

1740 

Davis,  Wm. 

1718 

Stacy,  Edmund... 

1719 

Evans,  John 

.  1689  to 

1729 

Shelb  urn,  Anthony 

1722  to 

1737 

Evans,  Ed. 

1727 

Stainton,  John    ... 

1730 

Farren,  John 

.    1688 

Simpson,  Anthony 

1726  to 

1754 

Gower,  Henry  .. 

1689  to 

1718 

Stanhope,   Walter 

1711 

Hodgkins,     Thos 

.  1674  „ 

1728 

Standly  ... 

1747  to 

1750 

Hanson,  Anthon) 

r  1731  „ 

1732 

Skinner,Nathaniel 

1716 

Jones,  John 

1718,, 

1725 

Town,  I. 

1754 

Loveday,  Wm.  .. 

•  1750 

Tomkings 

1740 

Morton  ... 

1720 

Tarrant,  John    ... 

1688 

Marston,  Edwarc 

171 3  to 

1714 

»»            55 

1742  to 

1750 

Marshall,  John  .. 

•  i75o 

Townsend,   Jacob 

1754 

Murry,  D. 

.  1719 

Vice,  Jo. 

1689  to 

1713 

Nodes     ... 

•  J753 

Wagstaffe,     James 

1689  „ 

1729 

Oswald  ... 

.  1712 

Wise,  J 

1709 

Oglesby... 

1728  to 

1740 

Wilkinson 

1740 

Privavaul 

Williams,  Wm.  ... 

Patterson 

.  1732 

Walker,  Clem.  ... 

1732  to  1731 

Ryder,  Thos. 

1722  to 

1743 

Wodmore,      Isaac 

1752 

Which  of  these  is  the  one  referred  to  in  the  Gentle- 
man s  Magazine  for  April  1 809  ?  "  I  should  be  much 
obliged  to  you  also,  Mr.  Urban,  if  you,  or  any  of  your 
numerous  and  intelligent  correspondents,  could  acquaint 
me  with  the  name  of  a  tall  black  clergyman,  who  used 
to  solicit  the  commands  of  the  votaries  of  Hymen  at 
the  door  of  a  public-house  known  by  the  sign  of  the 
Cock  in  Fleet  Market,  previously  to  the  Marriage  Act.,, 

Before  dismissing  the  subject  of  Fleet  parsons,  refe- 
rence must  be  made  to  the  Rev.  Alexander  Keith  of 


Parson  Keith.  361 

Mayfair  Chapel,  who  has  a  claim  to  be  noticed  here,  as 
he  was  an  inhabitant  of  the  Fleet.  The  Chapel  in 
Mayfair  was  built  somewhere  about  1736,  to  meet  the  Y. 
wants  of  the  increasing  neighbourhood,  which  was  then 
becoming  fashionable,  after  the  abolition  of  the  fair  in 
Brook-field,  and  the  first  incumbent  was  the  Rev. 
Alexander  Keith,  who  claimed  to  have  been  ordained 
priest  by  the  Bishop  of  Norwich,  acting  on  Letters 
Dimissory  from  the  Bishop  of  London,  in  June,  1731. 
He  also  stated  that  at  the  time  of  his  appointment  as 
preacher  in  the  Chapel,  he  was  Reader  at  the  Roll's 
Chapel.  He  did  a  roaring  trade  in  irregular  marriages, 
and  it  was  at  Mayfair  Chapel  that  the  Duke  of  Hamil- 
ton espoused  the  youngest  of  the  beautiful  Miss 
Gunnings,  "  with  a  ring  of  the  bed  curtain,  at  half  an 
hour  past  twelve  at  night." 

He  had  also  a  private  chapel  of  his  own,  as  we  read 
in  an  advertisement  of  his,  April,  1750.  "Several 
persons  belonging  to  Churches  and  Chapels,  together 
with  many  others,  supposing  the  Marriages  at  May  Fair 
New  Chapel  to  be  detrimental  to  their  interest,  have 
made  it  their  Business  to  rave  and  clamour,  but  in  such 
a  Manner,  as  not  to  deserve  to  Answer,  because  every 
Thing  they  have  said  tends  to  expose  their  own  Igno- 
rance and  Malice,  in  the  Opinion  of  People  of  good 
Sense  and  Understanding.  We  are  informed,  that  Mrs. 
Keith's  Corpse  was  removed  from  her  Husband's  House 
in  May  Fair,  the  Middle  of  October  last,  to  an  Apothe- 
cary's in  South  Audley  Street,  where  she  lies  in  a  Room 
hung  with  Mourning,  and  is  to  continue  there  till  Mr. 
Keith    can    attend    her    Funeral  !     The    way    to    Mr. 


362  Parson  Keith. 

Keith's  Chapel  is  thro'  Piccadilly,  by  the  End  of  St. 
James's  Street  and  down  Clarges  Street,  and  turn  on  the 
Left  Hand.  The  Marriages  (together  with  a  Licence 
on  a  Five  Shilling  Stamp,  and  Certificate)  are  carried  on 
as  usual,  any  time  till  Four  in  the  Afternoon,  by  another 
regular  Clergyman,  at  Mr.  Keith's  little  Chapel  in  May 
Fair,  near  Hyde  Park  Corner,  opposite  the  great  Chapel, 
and  within  ten  Yards  of  it.  There  is  a  Porch  at  the 
Door  like  a  Country  Church  Porch." 

His  wife  died  in  1749  whilst  he  was  in  the  Fleet 
prison,  which  accounts  for  his  inability  to  attend  her 
funeral.  Why  he  was  imprisoned  is  as  follows.  By 
advertising,  and  other  means,  his  Marriages  at  Mayfair 
were  very  popular,  and  interfered  greatly  with  the 
Vested  Interests  of  the  neighbouring  clergy,  one  of 
whom,  Dr.  Trebeck,  rector  of  St.  George's,  Hanover 
Square,  brought  a  lawsuit  against  him,  in  the  Ecclesias- 
tical Court.  He  defended  himself,  but  unsuccessfully, 
for  a  sentence  of  excommunication  was  promulgated 
against  him  on  Oct.  27,  1742. 

Two  could  play  at  that  ^ame,  so  Keith  excommuni- 
cated, at  his  Chapel  in  Mayfair,  his  bishop,  the  judge 
who  condemned  him,  and  the  prosecutor,  Dr.  Trebeck, 
but  none  of  them  seem  to  have  been  any  the  worse  for 
the  operation.  Such,  however,  was  not  the  case  with 
Keith,  for,  on  Jan.  24,  1743,  a  decree  was  issued  for  his 
apprehension.  This  did  not  take  effect  till  April,  1743, 
when  he  was  committed  to  the  Fleet ;  the  marriages  at 
Mayfair  being  continued,  as  we  have  seen,  by  Symson 
and  Denevan. 

He  lay  in  the  Fleet  about  fifteen  years,  and  in  1753, 


Parson  Keith.  363 

when  Lord  Hardwicke's  Marriage  Act  was  being  dis- 
cussed, he  thence  issued  a  pamphlet  of  thirty-two  pages, 
with  his  portrait  attached,  entitled,  "  Observations  on 
the  Act  for  preventing  Clandestine  Marriages."  In  it 
he  gives  what  seems  to  be  "  a  plain,  unvarnished  tale  " 
of  Fleet  Marriages.  "As  I  have  married  many  thou- 
sands, and,  consequently,  have  on  those  occasions  seen 
the  humour  of  the  lower  class  of  people,  I  have  often 
asked  the  married  pair  how  long  they  had  been 
acquainted ;  they  would  reply,  some  more,  some  less, 
but  the  generality  did  not  exceed  the  acquaintance  of  a 
week,  some  only  of  a  day,  half-a-day,  &c.  .  .  .  Another 
inconveniency  which  will  arise  from  this  Act  will  be, 
that  the  expence  of  being  married  will  be  so  great,  that 
few  of  the  lower  class  of  people  can  afford  ;  for  I  have 
often  heard  a  Flete  parson  say,  that  many  have  come  to 
be  married  when  they  have  but  half-a-crown  in  their 
pockets,  and  sixpence  to  buy  a  pot  of  beer,  and  for 
which  they  have  pawned  some  of  their  cloaths.  ...  I 
remember  once  on  a  time,  I  was  at  a  public-house  at 
Radcliffe,  which  was  then  full  of  Sailors  and  their  girls, 
there  was  fiddling,  piping,  jigging,  and  eating  ;  at  length 
one  of  the  tars  starts  up,  and  says,  c  D — m  ye,  Jack,  I'll 
be  married  just  now  ;  I  will  have  my  partner,  and '  .  .  . 
The  joke  took,  and  in  less  than  two  hours  ten  couple 
set  out  for  the  Flete.  I  staid  their  return.  They 
returned  in  coaches  ;  fi.ve  women  in  each  coach  ;  the  tars, 
some  running  before,  others  riding  on  the  coach  box, 
and  others  behind.  The  Cavalcade  being  over,  the 
couples  went  up  into  an  upper  room,  where  they  con- 
cluded the  evening  with  great  jollity.     The  next  time  I 


364  Parson  Keith. 

went  that  way,  I  called  on  my  landlord  and  asked  him 
concerning  this  marriage  adventure ;  he  first  stared  at 
me,  but,  recollecting,  he  said  those  things  were  so  fre- 
quent, that  he  hardly  took  any  notice  of  them  ;  for, 
added  he,  it  is  a  common  thing,  when  a  fleet  comes  in, 
to  have  two  or  three  hundred  marriages  in  a  week's 
time,  among  the  sailors." 

The  Marriage  Act  was  passed,  and  came  into  force 
on  March  26,  1754.  On  the  25th  Sixty-one  Couples 
were  married  at  May  fair  Chapel. 

It  was  a  death  blow  to  the  Reverend  Alexander, 
although  he  tried  to  laugh  it  off,  if  Horace  Walpole 
may  be  believed.  In  a  letter  to  George  Montagu, 
Esqr.  (June  11,  1753),  he  says  :  c<  I  shall  only  tell  you 
a  bon  mot  of  Keith's,  the  marriage  broker,  and  conclude. 
4  G — d  d — n  the  Bishops/  said  he  (I  beg  Miss  Mon- 
tagu's pardon),  c  so  they  will  hinder  my  marrying. 
Well,  let  'em,  but  I'll  be  revenged :  I'll  buy  two  or 
three  acres  of  ground,  and  by  G — d,  I'll  under  bury 
them  all.'" 

This  may  have  been  true,  but  it  was  mere  bravado, 
for  he  appealed  from  his  prison  to  the  benevolent,  as  we 
see  by  the  following  advertisement.  "  To  the  Compas- 
sionate. By  the  late  Marriage  Act,  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Keith,  from  a  great  Degree  of  Affluence,  is  reduc'd  to 
such  a  deplorable  State  of  Misery  in  the  Fleet  Prison, 
as  is  much  better  to  be  conceiv'd  than  related,  having 
scarce  any  other  thing  than  Bread  and  Water  to  subsist 
on.  It  is  to  be  hoped  he  will  be  deemed  truly  unde- 
serving such  a  Fate,  when  the  Publick  are  assured,  that 
not  foreseeing  such  an  unhappy  Stroke  of  Fortune,  as 


Parson  Keith.  365 

the  late  Act,  he  yearly  expended  almost  his  whole 
Income  (which  amounted  to  several  Hundred  Pounds 
per  Annum)  in  relieving  not  only  single  distress'd  Per- 
sons, but  even  whole  Families  of  wretched  Objects  of 
Compassion.  This  can  be  attested  by  several  Persons 
of  the  strictest  Character  and  Reputation,  as  well  as  by 
Numbers  who  experienced  his  Bounty.  Mr.  Keith's 
present  calamitous  Situation  renders  him  perhaps  as 
great  an  Object  of  Charity  himself,  as  all  Circumstances 
consider'd,  as  ever  in  his  better  Days  partook  of  his 
own  Assistance,  or  that  of  others  equally  compassionate; 
and  is  indeed  sufficient  to  awaken  Humanity  in  the 
most  uncharitable.  Any  Gentleman  or  Lady  may  be 
satisfied  of  the  above  by  applying  to  Mr.  Brooke,  En- 
graver, facing  Water  Lane,  Fleet  Street,  by  whom 
Donations  from  the  Publick  will  be  received  for  the  Use 
of  Mr.  Keith." 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

KEITH'S  written  description  of  a  Fleet  Marriage  is 
graphic,  but  a  contemporary  engraving  brings  it 
even  more  vividly  before  us.  This  was  pub- 
lished Oct.  20,  1747,  and  gives  an  excellent  view  of  the 
Fleet  Market  as  it  then  was.  It  is  called  cc  A  Fleet 
Wedding,  Between  a  brisk  young  Sailor,  and  his 
Landlady's  Daughter  at  RederirT." 

"  Scarce  had  the  Coach  discharg'd  it's  trusty  Fare, 
But  gaping  Crouds  surround  th'  amorous  Pair  ; 
The  busy  Plyers  make  a  mighty  Stir  ! 
And  whisp'ring  cry,  d'ye  want  the  Parson,  Sir  ? 
Pray  step  this  way — just  to  the  Pen  in  Hand 
The  Doctor's  ready  there  at  your  Command  : 
This  way  (another  cries)  Sir,  I  declare 
The  true  and  ancient  Register  is  Here. 
Th'  alarmed  Parsons  quickly  hear  the  Din  ! 
And  haste  with  soothing  words  t'invite  them  in  : 
In  this  Confusion  jostled  to  and  fro, 
Th'  inamour'd  Couple  knows  not  where  to  go  : 
Till  slow  advancing  from  the  Coache's  Side 
Th'  experiene'd  Matron  came  (an  artful  Guide) 
She  led  the  way  without  regarding  either, 
And  the  first  parson  spliced  'em  both  together." 


The  B-unter's  Wedding.  369 

The  Context  to  this  is  a  companion  Engraving  of 
"  The  Sailor's  Fleet  Wedding  Entertainment," 
which  most  aptly  illustrates  Keith's  description,  but  the 
poetry  attached  to  it  will  scarcely  bear  modern  repro- 
duction. 

But,  if  a  poetical  account  of  a  Fleet  Wedding  is 
needed,  it  may  be  found  in  "  The  Bunter's  Wedding." 

"  Good  people  attend,  I'll  discover, 
A  Wedding  that  happen'd  of  late, 
I  cannot  tell  why  we  should  smother, 
The  weddings  of  poor  more  than  great ; 
'Twixt  Ben  of  the  Borough  so  pretty, 
Who  carries  a  basket,  'tis  said, 
And  dainty  plump  Kent  street  fair  Kilty, 
A  Coney  Wool  Cutter  by  trade. 

The  guests  were  all  quickly  invited, 
Ben  order'd  the  dinner  by  noon, 
And  Kitty  was  highly  delighted, 
They  obey'd  the  glad  summons  so  soon  : 
An  ox  cheek  was  order'd  for  dinner, 
With  plenty  of  porter  and  gin, 
Ben  swore  on  the  oath  of  a  sinner, 
Nothing  should  be  wanting  in  him. 

Joe  the  sandman,  and  Bessy  the  bunter, 
We  hear  from  St.  Giles's  did  prance, 
Dick  the  fiddler,  and  Sally  the  Mumper, 
Brought  Levi  the  Jew  for  to  dance. 
Tom  the  Chanter  he  quickly  was  present, 
And  squinting  black  Molly  likewise, 
With  Billy  the  Dustman  quite- pleasant, 
And  Nell  with  no  nose  and  sore  eyes. 

Ned  the  drover  was  also  invited, 
Unto  this  gay  wedding  to  come, 

25 


370  The  Bunter's  Wedding. 

From  Smithfield  he  came  quite  delighted, 
Before  that  the  market  was  done. 
And  Fanny  the  pretty  match  maker, 
A  sister  to  young  bunting  Bess, 
She  wished  the  devil  might  take  her 
If  she  was  not  one  of  the  guests. 

Dolly  the  rag  woman's  daughter, 
From  Tyburn  road  she  did  stride, 
And  Jenny  the  quilter  came  after 
Whose  nose  it  stood  all  of  one  side ; 
There  was  Roger  the  chimney  sweeper, 
No  soot  he  would  gather  that  day, 
But,  because  he  would  look  the  complcater, 
His  soot  bag  and  brush  threw  away. 

There  was  bandy  leg'd  sheep's  head  Susan 

We  hear  from  Field  Lane  she  did  hie, 

And  draggle  tail'd  Pat  with  no  shoes  on, 

Who  pins  and  laces  doth  cry ; 

Ralph  the  grinder  he  set  by  his  barrow, 

As  soon  as  he  heard  of  the  news, 

And  swore  he  would  be  there  to-morrow, 

Atho'  he'd  no  heels  to  his  shoes. 

Sam  the  grubber,  he  having  had  warning, 
His  wallet  and  broom  down  did  lay, 
And  early  attended  next  morning, 
The  bride  for  to  give  away ; 
And  Peggy  the  mop  yarn  spinner, 
Her  Cards  and  her  wheel  set  aside, 
And  swore  as  she  was  a  sinner, 
She'd  go  and  attire  the  bride. 

Nan  the  tub  woman  out  of  Whitechapel, 

Was  also  invited  to  go, 

And,  as  she  was  'kin  to  the  couple, 

She  swore  she  the  stocking  would  throw  ; 


t 


1V£ 


The  Bunter's  Wedding.  371 

So  having  all  gathered  together, 
As  they  appointed  to  meet, 
And  being  all  birds  of  a  feather, 
They  presently  flocked  to  the  Fleet. 

But  when  at  Fleet  Bridge  they  arrived, 
The  bridegroom  was  handing  his  bride 
The  sailors  [?  plyers]  they  all  to  them  dr 
Do  you  want  a  Parson  ?  they  cry'd ; 
But  as  they  down  Fleet  Ditch  did  prance, 
What  house  shall  we  go  to  ?  says  Ben, 
Then  Kitty,  in  raptures,  made  answer 
Let's  go  to  the  Hand  and  the  Pen. 

Then  into  the  house  they  did  bundle, 
The  landlady  shew'd  them  a  room, 
The  landlord  he  roar'd  out  like  thunder, 
The  parson  shall  wait  on  you  soon  : 
Then  so  eager  he  came  for  to  fasten 
He  staid  not  to  fasten  his  hose, 
A  fat  bellied  ruddy  fac'd  parson, 
That  brandy  had  painted  his  nose. 

But  before  (he)  the  couple  did  fasten 

He  look'd  all  around  on  the  men, 

My  fee's  half  a  crown,  says  the  parson,' — 

I  freely  will  give  it,  says  Ben  : 

Then  Hymen  he  presently  follow'd 

And  the  happy  knot  being  ty'd 

The  guests  they  whooped  and  hollow'd, 

All  joys  to  the  bridegroom  and  bride. 

Like  Malt  horses  home  they  all  pranced, 
The  bride  she  look'd  not  like  the  same, 
And  thus  thro'  the  City  they  danced ; 
But,  when  to  the  Borough  they  came, 
The  bride  to  look  buxom  endeavour'd, 
The  bridegroom  as  brisk  as  an  eel ; 
With  the  marrow  bones  and  cleavers, 
The  butchers  they  rang  them  a  peal. 


372  The  Bunter's  Wedding. 

And,  as  they  were  homewards  advancing, 
A-dancing,  and  singing  of  songs, 
The  rough  music  met  them  all  prancing, 
With  frying  pans,  shovels,  and  tongs  : 
Tin  Canisters,  salt  boxes  plenty, 
With  trotter  bones  beat  by  the  boys, 
And  they  being  hollow  and  empty, 
They  made  a  most  racketting  noise. 

Bowls,  gridirons,  platters,  and  ladles, 
And  pokers,  tin  kettles  did  bruise, 
The  noise,  none  to  bear  it  was  able, 
The  warming  pans  beat  with  old  shoes  : 
Such  a  rattling  racketting  uproar, 
Had  you  but  have  heard  it,  no  doubt, 
All  hell  was  broke  loose  you'd  have  swore, 
And  the  devils  were  running  about. 

The  Mob  they  all  hollow'd  and  shouted, 
In  the  streets  as  they  passed  along, 
The  people  to  see  how  they  scouted, 
Together  in  clusters  did  throng; 
They  made  all  the  noise  they  was  able, 
And  thus  they  were  ushered  in, 
But  e'er  they  all  sat  down  to  table, 
They  each  had  a  glass  of  old  gin. 

Dinner  being  decently  ended, 
The  table  was  cleared  with  speed, 
And  they  to  be  merry  intended, 
So  strait  did  to  dancing  proceed  ; 
But  Harry  the  night  man  so  jolly, 
With  madness  he  almost  cry'd, 
And  all  the  night  sat  melancholy, 
For  he  had  a  mind  for  the  bride." 

There  are  four  more  verses,  but  they  are  not  worth 
transcribing — besides,  there  is  a  very  good  prose  account 


Fleet  Parsons.  373 

of  the  doings  at  the  Fleet,  which,  certainly,  bears  the 
impress  of  truth.  It  is  in  No.  270  of  the  Grub  Street 
Journal,  Feb.  27,  1735  ":— 

"  Sir,  There  is  a  very  great  evil  in  this  town,  and  of 
dangerous  consequence  to  our  sex,  that  has  never  been 
suppressed,  to  the  great  prejudice,  and  ruin,  of  many 
hundreds  of  young  people,  every  year ;  which  I  beg 
some  of  your  learned  heads  to  consider  of,  and  consult 
of  proper  ways  and  means  to  prevent  for  the  future  :  I 
mean  the  ruinous  marriages  that  are  practised  in  the 
liberty  of  the  Fleet,  and  thereabouts,  by  a  sett  of  drunken, 
swearing  parsons,  with  their  Myrmidons  that  wear  black 
coats,  and  pretend  to  be  clerks,  and  registers  to  the  Fleet. 
These  ministers  of  wickedness  ply  about  Ludgate  Hill, 
pulling  and  forcing  people  to  some  pedling  alehouse,  or 
brandy  shop,  to  be  married,  even  on  a  Sunday,  stopping 
them  as  they  go  to  church,  and  almost  tearing  their 
cloaths  off  their  backs.  To  confirm  the  truth  of  these 
facts,  I  will  give  you  a  case  or  two,  which  lately  hap- 
pened : — 

"Since  midsummer  last,  a  young  lady  of  birth  and 
fortune,  was  deluded  and  forced  from  her  friends,  by  the 
assistance  of  a  very  wicked,  swearing  parson,  married  to 
an  atheistical  wretch,  whose  life  is  a  continual  practice 
of  all  manner  of  vice  and  debauchery.  And,  since  the  ruin 
of  my  relation,  another  lady  of  my  acquaintance  had  like 
to  have  been  trapanned  in  the  following  manner  : — 

c<  This  lady  had  appointed  to  meet  a  gentlewoman  at 
the  Old  Play-house  in  Drury  Lane ;  but  extraordinary 
business    prevented    her  coming.       Being    alone,    when 


374  Fleet  Parsons. 

the  play  was  done,  she  bade  a  boy  call  a  coach  for  the 
City.  One  drest  like  a  gentleman  helps  her  into  it,  and 
jumps  in  after  her.  '  Madam,'  says  he,  '  this  coach  was 
called  for  me  :  and  since  the  weather  is  so  bad,  and'  there 
is  no  other,  I  beg  leave  to  bear  you  company;  I  am 
going  into  the  City,  and  will  set  you  down  wherever 
you  please/  The  lady  begged  to  be  excused  ;  but  he 
bade  the  coachman  drive  on.  Being  come  to  Ludgate 
hill,  he  told  her  his  sister,  who  waited  his  coming,  but 
five  doors  up  the  Court,  would  go  with  her  in  two 
minutes.  He  went,  and  returned  with  his  pretended 
sister,  who  asked  her  to  step  in  one  minute,  and  she 
would  wait  upon  her  in  the  coach. 

<c  Deluded  with  the  assurance  of  having  his  sister's 
company,  the  poor  lady  foolishly  followed  her  into  the 
house,  when,  instantly,  the  sister  vanish'd ;  and  a 
tawny  fellow  in  a  black  coat  and  black  wig  appeared. 
1  Madam,  you  are  come  in  good  time,  the  doctor  was  just 
a  going/  'The  doctor/  says  she,  horribly  frighted, 
fearing  it  was  a  madhouse ;  *  What  has  the  doctor  to  do 
with  me?'  *  To  marry  you  to  that  gentleman :  the  doctor 
has  waited  for  you  these  three  hours,  and  will  be  payed 
by  you  or  the  gentleman  before  you  go/  c  That  gentle- 
man/ says  she,  recovering  herself,  '  is  worthy  a  better 
fortune  than  mine/  And  begged  hard  to  be  gone.  But 
doctor  Wryneck  swore  she  shou'd  be  married ;  or,  if 
she  wou'd  not,  he  would  still  have  his  fee,  and  register 
the  marriage  from  that  night.  The  lady,  finding  she 
could  not  escape  without  money  or  a  pledge,  told  them 
she  liked  the  gentleman  so  well,  she  would  certainly  meet 
him  to-morrow  night,  and  gave  them  a  ring  as  a  pledge : 


Exchange  of  Wives.  375 

which,  says  she,  c  was  my  mother's  gift  on  her  death- 
bed, injoining  that  if  ever  I  married,  it  should  be  my 
wedding  ring.'  By  which  cunning  contrivance,  she  was 
delivered  from  the  black  doctor,  and  his  tawny  crew. 

"  Some  time  after  this,  I  went  with  this  lady,  and  her 
brother,  in  a  coach  to  Ludgate  Hill,  in  the  day  time,  to 
see  the  manner  of  their  picking  up  people  to  be  married. 
As  soon  as  our  coach  stopt  near  Fleet  Bridge,  up 
comes  on  of  the  Myrmidons.  c  Madam/  says  he,  c  you 
want  a  parson.'  cWho  are  you? '  says  I.  CI  am  the 
clerk  and  register  of  the  Fleet.'  '  Show  me  the  Chapel.' 
At  which  comes  a  second,  desiring  me  to  go  along  with 
him.  Says  he,  '  That  fellow  will  carry  you  to  a  pedling 
alehouse.  Says  a  third,  '  Go  with  me,  he  will  carry  you 
to  a  brandy  shop.'  In  the  interim,  comes  the  doctor. 
•'  Madam,'  says  he,  c  I'll  do  your  jobb  for  you  presently.' 
c  Well,  gentlemen,'  says  I,  '  since  you  can't  agree,  and  I 
can't  be  married  quietly,  I'll  put  it  off  'till  another  time,' 
so  drove  away." 

Some  of  the  stories  of  Fleet  Marriages  read  like 
romances,  yet  they  are  all  taken  from  contemporary 
accounts.  Here,  for  instance,  is  a  fact,  scarcely  to  be 
believed  nowadays  : — c'Jan.  5,  1742.  On  Tuesday  last 
two  Persons,  one  of  Skinner  Street,  and  the  other  of 
Webb's  Square,  Spittle  Fields,  exchang'd  Wives,  to  whom 
they  had  been  married  upwards  of  twelve  Years ;  and 
the  same  Day,  to  the  Content  of  all  Parties,  the 
Marriages  were  consummated  at  the  Fleetc  Each 
Husband  gave  his  Wife  away  to  the  other,  and  in  the 
Evening  had  an  Entertainment  together." 


376  Singular  Marriage, 

Or  this  from  the  Whitehall  Evening  Post,  July  24, 
1739  : — (C  On  Tuesday  last  a  Woman  indifferently  well 
drcss'd  came  to  the  sign  of  the  Bull  and  Garter,  next 
Door  to  the  Fleet  Prison,  and  was  there  married  to  a 
Soldier  ;  in  the  afternoon  she  came  again,  and  would 
have  been  married  to  a  Butcher,  but  that  Parson  who 
had  married  her  in  the  Morning  refused  to  marry  her 
again,  which  put  her  to  the  Trouble  of  going  a  few 
Doors  further,  to  another  Parson,  who  had  no  Scruple." 

Here  is  another  story  indicative  of  the  Manners  and 
Morals  of  those  days  : — Oct.  1739.  "Last  Week,  a 
merry  Widow,  near  Bethnal  Green,  having  a  pretty  many 
Admirers,  not  to  be  over  Cruel,  she  equally  dispensed 
her  Favours  between  two,  who  were  the  highest  in  her 
Esteem.  The  one,  a  Butcher,  meeting  the  good  Woman, 
took  the  Advantage  of  the  others  Absence,  and  pleaded 
his  Cause  so  successfully,  that  they  tuck'd  up  their  Tails, 
trudg'd  to  the  Fleet,  and  were  tack'd  together.  Home 
they  both  jogg'd  to  their  several  habitations,  the  Bride- 
groom to  his,  and  the  Bride  to  her's.  Soon  after  came 
another  of  her  Admirers,  an  honest  Weaver,  who,  upon 
hearing  of  the  Melancholy  News,  had  no  more  Life  in 
him  for  some  time  than  one  of  the  Beams  of  his  Loom  ; 
but,  recovering  himself  a  little  from  the  Surprize  he  was 
seized  with  a  sudden  Delirium,  swore  his  Loom  should 
be  his  Gibbet,  and  he'd  hang  himself  pendant  at  the  End 
of  his  Garter,  if  he  also  was  not  tack'd  to  his  comfort- 
able Rib  :  The  good  Widow,  considering  that  the 
Butcher  had  not  bedded  with  her,  and  desirous  of  pre- 
venting Murder,  consented,  and  away  she  jogg'd  to  be 
coupled  to  the  Weaver.     On  their  return  home,  to  Bed 


Singular  Marriage. 


377 


they  went,  and  the  Butcher  coming  to  see  his  dear 
Spouse,  found  her  in  Bed  with  the  Weaver  ;  upon  which 
a  Quarrel  ensued,  and  the  Butcher  being  the  best  Man, 
she  left  the  Weaver  and  went  to  the  Butcher,  being 
willing  to  please  them  both,  as  well  as  she  could." 


CHAPTER    XXX. 


THERE  are  several  instances  of  Committal  to  the 
Fleet  for  meddling  with  Marriages.  One  or  two 
will  suffice  : — 1731.  "Thursday,  the  Master  of 
the  Rolls  committed  a  Clergyman  to  the  Fleet  for 
marrying  a  young  Gentleman  about  17  years  of  Age  at 
Eaton  School,  and  intitled  to  an  Estate  of  ^1500  per 
Annum,  to  a  Servant  Maid  :  and  at  the  same  time 
committed  the  person  who  gave  her  in  Marriage.  His 
Honour  had  some  days  since  sent  as  Prisoner  to  the 
Fleet,  the  Person  who  pretended  to  be  the  Youth's 
Guardian,  and  who  had  given  a  Bond  to  indemnify  the 
Parson." 

1735.  "Two  Sisters  were  committed  to  the  Fleet 
prison,  by  an  order  of  the  high  Court  of  Chancery,  for 
drawing  a  young  fellow  into  marriage,  he  being  a  ward 
of  the  said  Court." 

Dec.  28,  1734.     "Last  Saturday  Night  Mr.  D 

late   Valet  de   Chambre  to  a  certain  Noble  Lord  near 


380  A  Runaway  Marriage. 

Soho  Square,  went  away,  as  was  suspected,  with  his 
Lordship's  Niece,  a  young  Lady  not  yet  of  Age,  and  a 
Coheiress  to  a  very  large  Estate.  It  seems  they  took  a 
Hackney  Coach  soon  after  they  got  out  of  Doors,  and 
upon  strict  Enquiry,  the  Coachman  was  found  out,  who 
declared  that  he  took  a  Gentleman  and  a  Lady  up 
at  such  a  Place,  and  set  them  down  at  the  Fleet,  and 
by  the  Description  he  gave  it  appeared  to  be  the  two 
Lovers,  who  may  therefore  be  supposed  to  have  been 
married  and  bedded  that  Night.  A  Warrant  was  im- 
mediately obtained  for  apprehending  the  Supposed 
Bridegroom,  and  he  was  accordingly  taken  in  Bed  with 
his  Lady,  at  a  house  in  Queen  Street  near  Guildhall,  on 
Wednesday  Morning  last,  and  immediately  carried  to 
Poultry  Compter,  and  the  Lady  was  carried  off  by  her 
Friends.  In  the  Afternoon  he  was  examined,  and  after- 
wards re- committed  to  the  same  Prison.  So  that  it 
seems  he  is  to  suffer  for  endeavouring  to  get  himself  a 
Rich  Wife,  which  is  a  Practice  followed  by  all  the  young 
Gentlemen  of  Quality  in  England  ;  but  the  Difference  is, 
'That  this  young  fellow  has  married \  or  endeavoured  to 
marry  an  Heiress  without  the  Consent  of  her  Friends, 
whereas  the  other  generally  marry  or  endeavour  to  marry 
Heiresses  without  their  own  Consent.  It  has  since  been 
found  out  that  they  were  married  by  a  Roman  Catholic 
Priest." 

There  was  a  faint-hearted  protest  on  the  part  of  the 
Fleet  authorities,  against  the  Marriages,  but  I  can  find 
no  attempt  at  prosecution,  other  than  for  marrying  with- 
out a  stamped  licence,  in  spite  of  the  following  advertise- 
ment :  — 


Fortunes  Married.  381 

"  September,  1743.  Whereas  the  Methods  hitherto 
taken  to  prevent  clandestine  Marriages  at  the  Fleet  have 
prov'd  ineffectual,  though  legal  Notice  hath  been  given 
by  the  Warden  of  the  Fleet  to  such  of  hisTenants  in 
whose  houses  it  is  reputed  such  Marriages  have  been 
suffer'd,  to  quit  the  Possession  thereof;  therefore,  and  as 
such  Warning  cannot  immediately  have  the  desir'd  Effect, 
this  Publick  Notice  is  given,  that,  whoever  shall  make  it 
appear  to  the  Warden's  Satisfaction  that  any  of  his  Pri- 
soners, shall  at  any  time  hereafter  clandestinely  marry, 
or  be,  in  any  manner  however,  concern'd  in  any  clandestine 
Marriage,  or  suffer  such  Marriages  to  be  performed  in 
his,  hers,  or  their  Houses,  or  Lodgings,  such  Person  or 
Persons  making  such  Discovery,  shall  receive  a  Guinea 
Reward  from  the  Turnkey  of  the  said  Prison. 

"William    Manning,  Turnkey." 

There  were  several  people  of  fortune  married  by  Fleet 
parsons  vide  Grub  Street  Journal \  September  18,  1735, 
"  Married  yesterday  Will  Adams,  Esqr.,  to  Miss  Eleanor 
Watkins,  a  beautiful  young  lady,  with  a  fortune  of 
£15,000."  And  in  the  Gentleman  s  Magazine ,  May 
6,  1735,  "Married  the  Lord  Robert  Montagu,  to 
Mrs.  Harriet  Dunch  of  Whitehall,  with  a  fortune  of 
£[5,000:; 

Somewhat  of  a  curiosity  is  recorded  in  "  Notes  and 
Queries,"  4  series,  vol.  xii.  p.  295.  "  I  have  before  me  an 
engraved  medal,  bearing  the  following  inscription,  about 
which  I  should  be  glad  of  information.  '  May  ye  3, 
176 1.  Thos.  Wisely  Maried  Sarah  Boswell  in  the 
Fleet    Prison.' '      This,  in  all    probability,  was  a  half- 


382  Illegal  Marriage. 

crown    with    one    side    made    smooth,    and    the   above 
engraved  upon  it. 

There  is  no  doubt  but  that,  with  a  duly  stamped 
licence  and  until  they  were  specially  done  away  with  by 
Lord  Hardwicke's  Act  of  1753,  these  marriages  were 
legal ;  still  there  is  an  instance  recorded  in  the  General 
Evening  Post,  June  j-J-,  1745,  in  which  a  Fleet 
marriage  was  ruled  to  be  illegal.  c<  Yesterday  came  on 
a  cause  at  Doctor's  Commons,  wherein  the  plaintiff 
brought  his  action  against  the  defendant  for  pretending 
to  be  his  wife.  She,  in  her  justification,  pleaded  a 
marriage  at  the  Fleet  the  6th  of  February,  1737,  and 
produced  a  Fleet  Certificate,  which  was  not  allowed  as 
evidence.  She  likewise  offered  to  produce  the  minister 
she  pretended  married  them,  but  he  being  excom- 
municate for  clandestine  marriages,  could  not  be 
received  as  a  witness.  The  Court  thereupon  pronounced 
against  the  marriage,  and  condemned  her  in  £28,  the 
costs  of  the  suit." 

The  Registers  in  which  these  marriages  were  entered 
have  mostly  had  an  eventful  and  chequered  career. 
Many  have,  doubtless,  disappeared  for  ever,  and  it  is 
extremely  probable  that  some  are  in  private  hands,  one 
being  in  the  Bodleian  Library.  They  were  to  be  bought  by 
any  one  interested  in  them,  and  the  present  collection 
cannot  be  considered  as  being  at  all  perfect.  We  learn 
the  adventures  of  some  of  them  through  the  evidence  of 
a  Mrs.  Olive,  who  produced  one  at  a  trial  at  Shrewsbury 
in  1794.  This  woman  was  originally  a  servant  to 
Joshua  Lilly,  and  used  to  "  ply  "  or  tout  for  him,  and 
at  his  death  married  one  Owens,  who  succeeded  to  one 


Fleet  Marriage  Registers.  383 

of  Lilly's  marriage  houses,  and  who,  probably,  bought 
his  Registers  from  his  representatives.  At  this  Trial  she 
said  :  "  My  first  husband  was  Thos.  Owens.  I  had  the 
Register  Books  of  Fleet  Marriages  in  my  possession  from 
my  Marriage  in  1761  till  I  went  to  America  eleven 
years  ago.  I  then  sold  them  to  Mr.  Panton.  My 
husband  Owens  died  about  1773.  My  husband  made 
a  will.  I  had  the  possession  of  the  books  myself,  as  my 
husband  had  other  business.  I  heard  my  husband  say 
he  purchased  these  books.  He  had  a  Marriage  House 
in  Fleet  Lane.  I  used  the  books  to  grant  certificates 
upon  parish  affairs." 

After  her  Marriage  with  Olive  she  still  made  use  of 
these  Registers,  for  we  read  in  an  Advertisement  that 
"  All  the  original  Register  Books  containing  the  marriages 
solemnized  at  the  Fleet,  May  Fair,  and  the  Mint,  for 
upwards  of  one  hundred  years  past,  may  be  searched  by 
applying  to  George  Olive,  at  the  Wheat  Sheaf,  in 
Nicholls  Square,  near  Cripplegate.  The  great  utility  of 
these  Collections  prevents  any  encomiums." 

About  1783  a  Mr.  Benjamin  Panton  bought  of  Mrs. 
Olive  some  five  or  six  hundred  of  these  books,  weigh- 
ing more  than  a  ton,  and  used  to  produce  them  occa- 
sionally on  trials  at  law,  and  they  were  always  accepted 
as  evidence. 

At  his  death  in  1805  he  left  these  to  his  daughter, 
who  still  utilised  them  as  her  father  had  done,  as  a  hand- 
bill shows.  "  All  the  original  Register  Books  of  the 
Marriages  in  the  Fleet,  May  Fair,  and  Mint,  are  now  in 
the  possession  of  M.  Panton  (Register  Keeper),  No. 
50,  Houndsditch,  by  whom  they  are  examined,  and 
Certificates  of  Marriages  granted." 


3&4  Fleet  Marriage  Registers. 

In  1 8 1 3  she  sold  them  to  a  Mr.  William  Cox,  who, 
in  1 82 1,  sold  them  to  the  Government  for £260  6s.  6d., 
and  the  following  letter  shows  us  what  became  of 
them. 

"Whitehall,  April  25,  1821. 
"Sir, — It  having  been  judged  expedient  to  purchase 
a  set  of  books  containing  the  original  Entries  of  Marriages 
solemnized  in  the  Fleet  Prison,  and  Rules  thereof,  from 
the  year  1686  to  the  year  1754.  I  have  been  honoured 
with  his  Majesty's  commands  to  desire  that  you  will 
receive  the  said  books  from  Mr.  Maule  the  Solicitor  to 
the  Treasury,  and  give  him  a  receipt  for  the  same,  and 
deposit  them  in  the  Registry  of  the  Consistory  Court  of 
London. 

<c  I  have  the  honour  to  be,  Sir, 

"  Your  most  obedient  humble  Servant, 

"SlDMOUTH. 

"The  Registrar  of  the  Consistory  Court  of  London, 
or  his  Deputy." 

Here  they  remained  until  the  abolition  of  the  Court 
in  1840,  by  Act  of  Parliament,  3  and  4  Vic.  cap.  92, 
when  they  were  declared  inadmissible  as  evidence  in  law. 
Sec.  6  says,  "  And  be  it  enacted  That  all  Registers  and 
Records  deposited  in  the  General  Register  Office  by 
virtue  of  this  Act,  except  the  Registers  and  Records  of 
Baptisms  and  Marriages  at  The  Fleet,  and  King's  Bench 
Prisons,  at  May  Fair,  at  the  Mint  in  Southwark,  and 
elsewhere,  which  were  deposited  in  the  Registry  of  the 
Bishop  of  London  in  the  Year  One  Thousand  Eight 


Fleet  Marriage  Registers.  385 

Hundred  and  Twenty  One,  as  hereinafter  mentioned, 
shall  be  deemed  to  be  in  legal  Custody,  and  shall  be 
receivable  in  Evidence  in  all  Courts  of  Justice,  subject  to 
the  Provisions  hereinafter  contained." 

And  Section  20  provides  thus,  "And  be  it  enacted, 
That  the  several  Registers  and  Records  of  Baptisms  and 
Marriages  performed  at  the  Fleet  "  (&c,  &c,  as  in 
Section  6)  <c  shall  be  transferred  from  the  said  Registry 
to  the  Custody  of  the  Registrar-General,  who  is  hereby 
directed  to  receive  the  same  for  safe  custody."  And  it 
recapitulates  that  they  shall  not  be  received  as  evidence 
at  law. 

They  are  kept  at  Somerset  House,  where  they  can  be 
examined  for  a  small  fee.  A  great  number  of  them  are 
memorandum  books,  and  Burn,  when  he  examined  them 
at  Doctors  Commons,  in  1833,  did  not  much  like  his 
job.  "  It  is  to  be  wished  that  they  were  better  arranged 
and  indexed.  There  are  several  very  large  indexes, 
which  only  requires  a  little  time  and  attention  to  ascertain 
to  what  Registers  they  refer.  The  Pocket  books  also, 
might  be  bound  together,  and  preserved  from  dust  and 
dirt ;  and  if  Government  would  give  about  ^300  these 
objects  might  be  attained.  It  was  a  labour  of  many 
months  to  go  through  so  many  hundreds  of  dusty,  dirty, 
and  sometimes  ragged  books." 

The  entries  in  the  pocket-books  are  quainter  than  those 
in  the  registries,  as  they  are  the  first  impressions,  and 
the  others  are  polished  up.  We  find  from  them  that  it 
,was  not  infrequent  to  antedate  the  Registers,  and  Lilley 
did  so  on  one  occasion,  "  there  being  a  vacancy  in  the 
Book    suitable    to    the    time."      And,    again,    <f  These 

26 


386  Extracts   from  Registers. 

wicked  people  came  this  day,  Peter  Oliver,  of  St. 
Olave's,  carpenter,  and  Elizabeth  Overton,  would  have 
a  certificate  dated  in  1729,  or  would  not  be  married  if  it 
was  not  to  be  dated  to  this  time — went  to  Lilley's  and 
was  married." 

Perhaps  the  most  extraordinary  entries  in  these  books 
are  those  of  two  women  going  through  the  ceremony 
of  marriage  with  each  other — 

"  20  May,  1737.  Jm>  Smith,  Gent,  of  Sl  James 
Wesf  Batchr  &  Eliz.  Huthall  of  Sl  Giles's  Spr  ai 
Wilsons.  By  ye  opinion  after  Matrimony,  my  Clark 
judg'd  they  were  both  women,  if  ye  person  by  name 
John  Smith  be  a  man,  he's  a  little  short  fair  thin  man, 
not  above  5  foot.  After  marriage  I  almost  c'd  prove 
ym  both  women,  the  one  was  dress'd  as  a  man,  thin  pale 
face,  &  wrinkled  chin." 

"  1734  Dec.  15.  John  Mountford  of  S*  Ann's 
Sohoe,  Taylor.  B.,  Mary  Cooper.  Ditto.  Sp.  Suspected 
2  Women,  no  Certif." 

"  1  Oct.  1747.  John  Ferren,  Gent,  Ser.  of  Sl 
Andrew's  Holborn  Br  and  Deborah  Nolan.  D°  Spn. 
The  supposed  John  Ferren  was  discovered  after  ye  Cere- 
monies were  over,  to  be  in  person  a  woman." 

There  is  one  entry,  "The  Woman  ran  across  Lud- 
gate  Hill  in  her  shift."  In  the  Daily  Journal  of 
November  8,  1725,  a  woman  went  to  be  married  in  that 
sole  garment,  at  Ulcomb,  in  Kent;  and  in  the  Parish 
Register  of  Chiltern  All  Saints  in  October  17,  17 14,  it 
says  :  "  The  aforesaid  Anne  Sellwood  was  married  in  her 


Extracts  from  Registers.  387 

Smock,  without  any  clothes  or  head  gier  on."  This  was 
a  vulgar  error,  but  the  idea  in  so  acting  was  that  the 
husband  was  not  liable  for  any  of  his  wife's  pre-nuptial 
debts. 

The  candidates  for  matrimony  were  occasionally  not 
over-honest,  as — "  Had  a  noise  for  foure  hours  about 
the  Money."  "  N.B.  Stole  a  Silver  Spoon."  "  Stole 
my  Cloathes  Brush."  "  N.B.  Married  at  a  Barber's 
Shop  next  Wilsons  viz.,  one  Kerrils  for  half  a  Guinea, 
after  which  it  was  extorted  out  of  my  pocket,  and  for 
fear  of  my  life  delivered."  "  They  behaved  very  vilely, 
and  attempted  to  run  away  with  Mrs  Crooks  Gold 
Ring." 

But  then,  again,  these  Fleet  parsons  had  customers  of 
a  higher  grade,  as  "  Dec.  1,  17 16.  Dan  Paul,  Se  James's, 
Captn  in  ye  Horse  Guards."  "March  ye  4th  1740. 
William — and  Sarah — he  dress'd  in  a  gold  waistcoat 
like  an  Officer,  she  a  Beautifull  young  Lady  with  2  fine 
diamond  Rings,  and  a  Black  high  Crown  Hat  and  very 
well  dressed."  "  Nov.  ye  24,  1733  att  ye  Baptized  hed 
Tavern  to  go  to  Mr  Gibbs  for  to  marry  him  in  ye  coun- 
trey — Wife  worth  £18,000."  "  Septr  5,  1744  Andrew 
Mills,  Gent,  of  the  Temple,  &  Charlotte  Gail  lairdy  of 
Sl  Mildred,  Poultry  at  Mr  Boyce's,  King's  head.  N.B. 
One  gentleman  came  first  in  a  merry  manner  to  make  a 
bargain  wth  the  Minister  for  the  marriage,  and  imme- 
diately came  the  parties  themselves,  disguising  their 
dress  by  contrivances,  particularly  buttning  up  the  coat, 
because  the  rich  wastecoat  should  not  be  seen,  &c." 

The  Church  of  England  Marriage  Service  was  gene- 
rally used,  but,  in  one  instance,  as  shown  by  a  pocket- 


388  End  of  Fleet  Marriages. 

book,  it  was  somewhat  modified,  as  when  the  ring  is 
given  the  Trinity  is  not  mentioned,  but  the  words  are 
altered  to  "  from  this  time  forth  for  evermore.  Amen;" 
and  when  the  couple  promise  to  hold  together  "  accord- 
ing to  God's  holy  ordinance,"  it  was  rendered  "  according 
to  law."  There  seems  to  have  been  but  one  example 
of  the  officiating  Clergyman  administering  the  Sacra- 
ment at  a  Marriage,  and  that  was  done  by  the  Rev.  W. 
Dan,  who  describes  himself  as  "  priest  of  the  Church  of 
England."  "  October  2nd  1743  John  Figg,  of  Sl  John's 
the  Evangs  Gent,  a  Widower,  and  Rebecca  Woodward, 
of  Ditto,  Spinster,  at  ye  same  time  gave  her  ye  Sacra- 
ment " 

The  Scandal  of  Fleet  Marriages  remained  unchecked 
until  1753,  when  the  Lord  Chancellor  brought  forward 
and  passed  "  An  Act  for  the  better  preventing  of  clan- 
destine marriages" — 26  Geo.  III.  cap.  33 — which,  in 
its  different  sections,  provides  that  the  Banns  of  Matri- 
mony are  to  be  published  according  to  the  rubric,  &c, 
the  marriage  to  be  solemnized  in  one  of  the  churches 
where  the  banns  had  been  published.  Marriage  by 
licence  could  only  take  place  in  the  church  or  chapel  of 
such  parish,  &c,  where  one  of  the  parties  should  have 
resided  for  four  weeks  previously. 

This  was  .the  death-blow  to  the  Fleet  Marriages,  as 
any  contravention  of  the  Jaw  was  made  punishable  by 
transportation  "  to  some  of  his  Majesty's  plantations  in 
America  for  the  space  of  fourteen  years,  according  to  the 
laws  in  force  for  the  transportation  of  felons." 

The  Act  came  into  force  on  March  26,  1754,  but 
people  took  advantage  of  the  Fleet  Marriages  until  the 


End  of  Fleet  Marriages.  389 

last  moment,  and  that  in  great  numbers,  for  in  one 
Register  alone  there  is  a  list  of  217  weddings  celebrated 
on  the  25th  of  March  ! 

The  last  Fleet  Wedding  is  recorded  in  the  Times  of 
July  10,  1840  :  "  Mr.  John  Mossington,  aged  76,  and 
a  Prisoner  in  the  Fleet,  more  than  15  years,  was,  on 
Wednesday,  married  to  Miss  Anne  Weatherhead,  aged 
62,  at  St.  Bride's  Church.  The  Lady  had  travelled  %6 
Miles  to  meet  her  bridegroom,  who  is,  without  excep- 
tion, one  of  the  most  extraordinary  men  in  this  County. 
He  takes  his  morning  walks  round  the  Fleet  prison 
yard,  which  he  repeats  three  or  four  times  a  day,  with 
as  much  rapidity  as  a  young  man  could  do  of  the  age 
of  20.  The  Road  from  Farringdon  Street  to  the 
Church,  was  lined  with  Spectators  who  knew  of  the 
event,  and  the  Church  was  equally  filled  to  hear 
the  Ceremony  performed.  The  Courtship  first  com- 
menced 41  years  ago,  and  Mr.  Mossington  has  now 
fulfilled  his  promise." 


The   End. 


INDEX. 


Aldgate  Pump,  I 

Alsatia,  227,  228 

Annis  (Dame)  the  Cleare,  10 

Antiquarian  Discoveries,  18,  19 

Apothecaries  Hall,  209 

Apprentices  and  City  Authorities, 

221,  222 
Archer,  J.  W.,  85 
Archery,  120,  121 
Artillery  Ground,  120 
Ashwell,  E.,  348,  349,  350 

Bagnigge  House,  85,  86,  87,  88 
Bagnigge  Wells,   4,   78,   81,    82, 
83,  84,  85,  86,  87,  88,  89,  90, 

91,  92>  93,  94,  95,  96,  97,  98> 

99,  100,  101 
Bambridge,  Thos.,  272,  273,  274, 

275,  276,  277,278,  279,  280 
Basset,  Bartholomew,  341,  342 
Battle  Bridge,  38,  39,  41,  42,43, 

44.45.  46 
Baynard's  Castle,  5 — 15 

Bear  baiting,  143,  144,  145 


Begging  Grate,  280 
Billingsgate,  fountain  at,  14 
Black   Mary's   Hole,  81,  82,   83, 

89 
Bleeding  Heart  Yard,  168 
Boughton,    251,   254,    255,    256, 

257 
"Boy"    (Prince    Rupert's    Dog), 

158 

Brabazon,  Roger  lc,  6-15 

Brent,  the,  21 

Bridewell,    210,   211,    212,   213, 

214,  215,  216,  217,  218,   220, 

221,  222,  223,  224,  225 
Brill,  the,  38,  39,  41,  42,  43 
Brooke  Street,  Hanover  Square,  2 
Brothers,  109 
Brown's  Dairy,  35 
Bull  baiting,  143,  144,  145,  146, 

147,  148,  149,  150 
Banter's  Wedding,  the,  369,  370, 

37'.  372 

Cantelows,  32,  35,  51 


392 


Index. 


Chad's,  St.,  Well,  48,  49,  50,  51, 

52,53,54 
Cheape  Conduit,  14 
City  Authorities  and  Apprentices, 

221,  222 
Clement's  Well,  8,  9 
Clerken  Well,  4,  8,  9,   187,  188, 

189 
Cobham's  Head,  119 
Cock,  a  man  eats  a  live,  74 
Coldbath,  4,  115,  116 
Coldbath  Fields,  III,  122,  123 
Coldbath  Fields  Prison,  103,  104, 

105,    106,  107,   108,  109,  no, 

in,  112,  113,  114 
Coin,  stinks  at,  16 
Conduits,  13,  14 
Conduit,  White,   56,   57,  58,   59, 

60,  61,  62,  63,  64,  65,  66,  6j, 

68,  69,  124 
Coppin,  Edward,  257,  260,  261 
Cornhill,  the  Tun  in,  14 
Court   Room   at  Bridewell,  224, 

225 
Cresswell,  Mother,  223 
Cripplegate,  fountain  at,  14 
Cripplegate  Pool,  8,  1 1 
Cruikshank,   Isaac    Robert,    314, 

315 

Dustman,  the  Literary,  46,  47 

Election,  a  mock,  312,  313,  314 
"Elephant,"  skeleton  of,  found,  17 
Ely    Place,    167,    168,    169,    170, 

171,  172,  173,  174 
Everett,  John,  45 

Fagin,  162,  163,  164,  165 


I   Fag's  Well,  8,  10 
FalstafF,  Sir  John,  244 
Field  Lane,  162,  163,  164 
Fighting,  141,  142,  143 
Fleet  Bridge,  193,  194,  195 
Fleet,  derivation  of  name,  2 
Fleet  Ditch,  1-7,  14,  16,  17,  18, 

19,  20,  180,  230 
Fleet  Market,  190,  191,  192 
Fleet  Marriages,  331,  332,   333, 

334,  335,  336,  337,  338,  339, 
340,  341,  342,  343,  344,  345, 

346,  347,  348,  349,  35°,  3 51, 
352,  353,  354,  355,  356,  357, 
358,  359,  36°,  36j,  362,  363, 
364,  365,  366,  367,  368,  369, 

37°,  371,  372,  373,  375,  37^, 

377,  378,  379,  38o,  381,  382, 

383,  384,  385,  386,  387,  388, 
389 

Fleet  Prison,  the,  233,  234,  235, 

236,  237,  238,  239,  240,  241, 

242,  243,  244,  245,  246,  247, 

248,  249,  250,  251,  252,  253, 

254,  255,  256,  257,  258,  259, 

260,  261,  262,  263,  264,  265, 

266,  267,  268,  269,  270,  27 r- 

272,  273,  274,  275,  276,  279, 

280,  281,  282,  283,  284,  285, 

286,  287,  288,  289,  290,  291, 

292,  293,  294,  295,  296,  298, 

299,  3°°,  3OI»  3°2,  3°3,  3°4, 
305,  306,  307,  308,  309,  310, 

311,  312,  3J3,  3H,  3i6,  3i7, 
318,  319,  320,  321,  322,  323, 
324,  325,  326,  327,  328,  329 
Fleet  Registers,  382,  383,  384, 
385,  386,  387,  388 


Index. 


393 


Fleet  River,  26,  27,  28,  29,  30, 
104,  159,  176,    177,   189,  190, 
192,  224,  231 
Floud,  John,  350,  351,  352 
Forcer,    proprietor    of     Sadler's 

Wells,  75 
Foster,  Sir  Stephen,  205,  206 
Fountain  at  Billingsgate,  14 
Fountain  at  Paul's  Wharf,  14 
Fountain    at   St.  Giles,   Cripple- 
gate,  14 

Garnish,  297,  298,  299 

Garth,  Dr.,  209 

Gaynam,    John,    344,    345,    346, 

347 
Gordon,  Lord  George,   25,   305, 

306 
Gospel  Oak,  30,  31 
Griffith,  Chas.,  96 
Gwynne,  Nell,  35,  85,  86,  87 

Hampstead,  7-14,  26 

Hampstead  Ponds,  27 

Harris,  Alex.,  Warden  of  the 
Fleet,  249,  250,  251,  252,253, 
254,  255,  256,  257,  258,  259, 
25o,  261,  262,  263,  264 

Hatton  Garden,  167 

Hatton,  the  Chancellor,  167,  168 

Hemp  beetling  at  Bridewell,  214, 
215,  216 

Hockley-in-the-Hole,  141,  143, 
150,  151,  152,  156 

Hogarth,  278 

Holborn  Bridge,  174,  176,  177, 
178,  180,  182 

Holy  Well,  8,  9,  10 


Horse  Pool,  8,  11 

Howard,    John,    218,    220,    299, 

300,  301 
Huggins,  269,  270,  271,  272,  275, 

279 
"Humours    of  the   Fleet,"   283, 

284,  285,  286,  287,  288,  289, 

290,  291,  292,  293,  294,  295 
Hunt,  "Orator,"    133,    134,    135, 

136,  137,  138,  139 
Huntingdon,  Lady,  126,  127,  128, 

129 

Keith,  Parson,  353,358,  360,  361, 

362,  363,  364,  365 
Ken  Wood,  25 

Kentish  Town,  27,  29,  32,  35 
King's  Cross,  38,  45,  46 

Ladies'  ablutions,  117 

Lamb's  Conduit,  4,  182,  183,  184, 

185 
Lando,  James,  358,  359 
Langbourne,  8 
Leveland,  Nathaniel  de,  233 
Lilley,  John,  356 
Lilley,  Joshua,  353,  355,  356,  382 
Loders  Well,  8,  10 
Ludgate    Prison,    199,    200,   201, 

202,  203,  204,  205,  206,  207 

Macklin,  76 

Man  drowned  in  the  Fleet  River, 

230 
Man  frozen  in  the   Fleet  River, 

230 
Mansfield,  Earl  of,  25 
Marriages,    334,    335,   336,   376, 

377,  379 


27 


394 


Index. 


Mary  le  Bourne,  St.,  2 
Mayfair  Chapel,  361,  362,  364 
Merlin's  Cave,  133 
Miles'  Musick  house,  73 
Mill  at  Bridewell,  213,  214 
Moat,  the  Fleet  Prison,  239,  240 
Montfitchet  Castle,  212 
Mottram,  John,  343 

Nelson,  Lord,  35 
Northampton  Chapel,  127 

Oastler,  Richard,  329 
Old  Bourne,  5,  8 
Oldcastle,  the  Sir  John,  17,  1 19, 
119,  120,  121,  122 

Pancras,  St.,  30,  37 

Pancras  Wash,  38 

Pantheon,    the,    123,    124,     125, 

126 
Parliament  Hill,  31,  36 
Parsons,  Fleet,  332,  337,  338,  339, 

340,  341,  342,  343,  344,  345, 

346,  347,  343,  349,  35°,  35i, 

352,  353,  354,  355,  356,  357, 

358,  359,  36° 
Paul's  Wharf,  fountain  at,  14 
Peerless  Pool,  II 
Periless  Pond,  1 1 
Physicians,  College  of,  209 
Pickwick  and  Hampstead  Ponds, 

27 
Pindar  of  Wakefield,  78 
Pools,  8-1 1 

Prisoners,  Poor,  328,  329 
"  Punch"  and  Bagnigge  Wells,  97, 

98,  99,  100 


Rackets,  309 

Rad  Well,  8,  10,  84 

Rhone,  50,  53 

Riots,    no  Popery,    25,   26,   305, 

306,  307 
Rules  of  the  Fleet,  267 
Rupert,  Prince,  158 
Rush  boats,  21 
Rye  House  Plot,  192,  193 

Sadler's  Wells,  55,  71,  72,  73, 

74,  75,  76,  11,  124 
Saffron  Hill,  159,  160,  161 
Schools,  King  Edward's,  222,  223 
Sedley  Place,  Oxford  Street,  13 
Shepherd's  Well,  Hampstead,  22 
Skinner's  Well,  8-10 
Small  Pox  Hospital,  122,  123 
Spa  Fields  Chapel,Te7,  129 
Spa  Field  Riots,  13/,    133,    134, 

135,  I36,  137,  I3ii39 
"Spence's  Plan,"  I3r,  132 
Springs,  1-7,  8,  9,  10 
"Steel,"  The,  107 
Sword  Play,   152,  153,  154,  155, 

156 
Symson,  Peter,  357,  358 

Tod  Well,  10 

Tonne,  or  Tunne,  the,  in  Corn- 
hill,  14 
Toxophilite  Society,  120 
Traitor's  Hill,  31,  36 
Treadmill,  Early,  213,  214 
Turnmill  Brook,  6 
Turnmill  Street  and  Brook,  174 
Tyebourne,  The,  2,  13,  22,  23 

Waithman,  Alderman,  197,  198 


Index. 


395 


Walbrook,  2-8 

Ward,  Ned,  on  Bridewell,  216, 
217,  218,  220 

Wardens  of  the  Fleet,  233,  234, 
235>  236>  237,  238,  241,  249, 
251,  252,  253,  254,  255,  256, 
257,  258,  259,  260,  261,  262, 
263,  264,  265,  266,  269,  270, 
271,  272,  273,  274,  275,  276, 
308,  317,  318 

Wardens  of  the  Fleet — Ladies, 
235,  236 

Warwick,  Earl  of,  209 

Wells,  River  of,  4,  7,  8,  55 

Westbourne,  the,  23 


West  Street,  159,  160,  161,  162 
Whipping  at  Bridewell,  216,  217, 

218 
Whistling  Shop,  a,  311,  312 
Whitbrooke,  Sir  John,  251,  252, 

253'  254>  255>  256>  25^^—^ 
White  Conduit,  4,  55 
Whitefriars,  227,  228,  229 
Whittington,  Sir  Rd.,  1 1 
rWiikes,  John,  197,  198,  199 
kV*[0^sey>  Cardinal,  244,  245,  246 
Wyatt,    Walter,    337,    352,    353 
354 

"Zigzag,"  85 


V 


UNWIN   BROTHERS, 
CHILWORTH    AND   LONDON. 


DA      Ashton,  John 

685        The  Fleet  Popular  ed. 

F48A7 

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